Gone but Never Forgotten
by Frosty63
Summary: Team JNPR goes on their first mission and when things go wrong Jaune pays for it with his life. Rated M for future content. Language/gore. Please review, feedback helps and I hope you enjoy.
1. Chapter 1

A Costly Mistake

Team JNPR walked out toward the bullhead that was to take them to the their mission point. In the middle walked the leader of the team Jaune Arc, at his side his sword Corcea Mors rested in its sheath. To his right Pyrrha Nikos walked with Milo' and Akoúo̱ across her back, the sunlight glinting of their edges. To Jaune's left walked, or rather bounced, the energetic Nora Valkyrie, her massive hammer Magnhild was hooked to her back in grenade launcher form. Directly next to her, Lie Ren strode with the same bored look he always carried on his face, his twin pistols StormFlower were tucked up his sleeves, hidden from sight.

When the team reached the bullhead they grabbed the handles at the top and held on as it took off. Jaune had his scroll out and was looking over details on the grimm they were being sent to kill. Pyrrah glanced at him nervously, they had received the mission two days ago and since they had Jaune had somewhat lost his fun dorky side. He had spent most of his free time either training or poring over any information that might give him some clue on how to beat this thing. Even team RWBY was slightly worried about him, no one had ever seen him this serious.

Last night when Jaune hadn't come back to the dorm until it was nearly midnight Pyrrah finally asked him what was wrong. He had looked at her with and asked what she meant. "Jaune you haven't been yourself since we got that mission. Are you nervous?"

Jaune had just sighed. "I'm fine Pyrrah. I just wanna do well on our first mission."

Pyrrah didn't buy it but something told her she wasn't gonna get an honest answer out of him so she dropped the issue. "Okay, get some sleep, we wanna do good tomorrow don't we."

He had just smiled at that and nodded. "Good night Pyrrah." And that had been the end of it.

Now, as the bullhead touched down in a clearing of a forest, the look in Jaune's eye's told her that he was far from fine. They gathered together and Jon pulled up a map of the terrain on his scroll. "Okay, the grimm was spotted in this area and as far as I have gathered, it hasn't had any intention on leaving. There's a cliff about a mile east of us so that's where we need to drive it to. If we can corner it there it's as good as ours."

"Yeah, let's break it's legs." Nora send her ever present excitement bringing excitement to all their faces.

They moved out heading toward the last known spot where the grimm had been seen. Though before they reached it Ren stopped and looked around. The rest of them stopped and stared back at him. Ren held up one finger to his lips and pointed to his left. He began to creep that way and the other's followed him. After some fifty yards they started to here what Ren had heard. The sound of semi dry earth being crushed under heavy steps.

After a few more yards they saw their prey. It was similar to a beowolf in structure. However it was smaller than the typical kind and far more muscled. Bone plate its entire head and could move in sync with it's jaw. Spikes ran up all for of its legs and down it's back. With patches of plate around them.

Without a word Jaune gestured and Pyrrah and Nora moved so that they were facing in the direction that they wanted to drive it. When he saw they were in position Jaune drew his sword and tapped it once against the tree he was hiding behind.

With a whoop of delight Nora leapt out from hiding and launched a grenade at the grimm. With a display of agility that Jaune had never seen in a grimm the beowolf dodged the shot and rushed at Nora, but there was Pyrrah springing forward and shield bashing the creature. It's charge was halted and Jaune came in soon afterward. Dashing in and stabbing at the grimm. However the blade skated off the bone plate and the creature twisted and backhanded Jaune sending him sailing through the air and crashing into a tree.

He struggled to his feet as Ren and Nora unloaded on the creature. "Drive it to the cliff." Jaune yelled and Nora compiled by giving the beowolf a good baseball swing to the head sending in reeling. In a panic it took off with them in pursuit.

They drove it east and before long they reached the edge of the cliff. Below the sea stretched out all the way to the horizon and beyond. The grimm stopped and turned to face them. They hemmed it in so there was no where to run and slowly approached.

The beowolf stared at them and growled, before rushing at Ren who was to its left. Jaune appeared in front of it blocked it with his shield, then hacked at it's right arm, his sword drawing a gash in the monsters hide. As it retreated Ren fired StormFlower over Jaune's shoulder, peppering the gimm with bullets.

Pyrrah dove into the fray, standing beside Jaune and stabbing with Milo'. The grimm retreated even farther so now it was only a few yards from the edge. Pyrrah and Jaune charged intending to dive to Nora so she could finish it off. She stabbed and he swung, and neither blow connected. The grimm dodged Pyrrah's stab and smacked her through the air. It then caught Jaune's sword and threw him behind it.

Jaune stuck his sword in the ground before he slid over the edge of the cliff and stood up. Pyrrah twisted mid air and hit the ground feet first and hurled Milo' at the grimm, firing a shot at the same time to give it more power. The grimm leapt sideways but before it landed. Nora came flying in from above and brought Magnhild down on its head, crushing it.

Pyrrah smiled and looked over at Jaune, and all color drained from her face, and when Nora and Ren looked over at him their faces went white to. Jaune stood at the edge of the cliff where he had stopped himself from sliding over, and Milo' was buried in his chest.

The spear had gone into his chest and stuck out his back. In the noon day sun its once shining bladed only glinted red with Jaune's blood. He looked down at the spear then back up in confusion as if he didn't understand what had happened. Then he coughed and blood came out of his mouth. He looked at Pyrrah and gave a small smile before falling backward and off the the edge.

"JAUNE!" Pyrrah screamed and raced toward the edge. She reached for Jaune but couldn't reach him. She saw him fall toward the sea before he hit the waves and disappeared beneath them.

Pyrrah was about to jump down after him when Ren grabbed her. "Pyrrah don't." He said struggling to keep his voice level.

"No. I have to get him!" Pyrrah screamed trying to pull her wrist from Ren's grasp but his grip was like Iron. He pulled her in and wrapped his arms around her.

"Your aura won't be able to shield you from a fall of that height." He said tears gathering in his eye's.

"But." Pyrrah said, tears streaming down her face.

"Pyrrah." Ren said having trouble getting the words out, "He's gone." Nora dropped her weapon and sunk to her knees, her hands over her mouth, tears gathering in her eye's.

Pyrrah finally lost it and, grabbing the front of Ren's jacket and screamed and sobbed. They stayed their for nearly and hour, Ren holding Pyrrah with Nora a few feet away.

When it was nearly dark when Ren called the bull head to retrieve them. Nora took Pyrrah and boarded and Ren walked over and picked up Corcea Mors from where Jaune had dropped it. With the sword in hand he got on the bullhead and stood in silence as it took off.

 **Beacon**

When they got to Beacon the group walked toward Headmaster Ozpin's office. The headmaster looked one look at their expression and at Ren holding Jaune and he already knew what had happened. They told him the whole story and then stood their in silence as Ozpin stared at his desk. Glynda Goodwitch had bowed her head when they explained Jaune's death. She had always had some measure of doubt when it came to him but even so she didn't think anyone deserved to die like that.

Finally Ozpin looked at the remainder of team JNPR and said, "go get some sleep Pyrrah before you go, I have something for you." Nora and Ren walked back to the dorm while Pyrrah watched Ozpin reach into his desk and pull out an envelope. He handed it to her and she turned it to see the twin crescents of the Arc family on it. She opened it and read the title. "The last words of Jaune Arc, to Pyrrah Nikos."


	2. A Man and a Monster

Three years later.

Team's RWBY sat in the cafeteria with Ren and Nora sitting across from them. It was silent as a crypt at the table, no one was eating except Nora, who could barely take small bites of her food.

It was Ruby who finally broke the silence, she had grown a lot in the past three years. She still had the red cloak, but had ditched the skirt and corset and replaced with a black vest and pants, her hair was shorter now so as it didn't get in her face when she moved with speed.

When team JNPR had arrived back and Jaune hadn't been with them she had cried for nearly an hour while Yang had held her. Yang, Weiss, and Blake were able to remain composed but the shock on their faces was as clear as day.

"So how's Pyrrha doing." Ruby said looking at Ren.

He just shook his head before responding. "What do you think, it's the anniversary." Three years ago today team JNPR had lost their leader, even after all this time Pyrrha had never recovered.

Blake sighed and stared at her food. "Do you think she'll ever move on?" She asked, she knew what it was like to loose someone close to you, after leaving Adam she had never really let it go either.

Ren shook his head again, "If she does, it'll be a miracle." His mind drifted to that day and remembered the feeling, standing there helpless as Jaune had fallen from the cliff his own blood trailing behind him in a crimson arc. He grimaced a little at the thought and instead looked up at the T.V that was currently showing the news. It was showing a group of hunters getting people off a ship that was being attacked by grimm that were swimming around it and ripping off chunks.

He was about to look away when there suddenly the camera panned to a point someway to the right. There the camera zoomed in to a sight that took Ren's breath away. A colossal creature was moving toward the boat. It was like looking at a an entire island moving through the sea. All conversation in the room stood up as they watched the massive creature race toward the boat.

"Good god what the hell is that." Someone said.

Weiss was the one who responded. "Death."

In team JNPR's room

Pyrrha sat on the edge of her bed looking at the letter Headmaster Ozpin had given her the day that Jaune had died.

Dear Pyrrha,

If your reading this then I've died and didn't have the courage to say what I needed to say before. I love you and I'm ashamed to say that I don't think I'll be able to say it to your face. If this my end comes while we're still at school I want you to lead the rest of team JNPR to glory, a glory I would never be able to get them to. Please don't mourn for me, move on and become the greatest huntress in Remnant and live a long time. I'd be happy to die again if you could do that. Make sure Nora stays a happy girl, we need more of that in the world and tell Ren to get with her already. Though no matter what the future may bring, one thing will never change, and that's that I love you and I will always love you, till the end of time.

Love,

Jaune Arc

She had cried then and she cried now, This was the fourth time she's read it and it never got any easier. Ozpin had watched her the first time and the look of pity that was in his eye's was palpable. When she finished reading she put the letter in it's envelope and leaned it against the stand where Corcea Mors sat. She stared at the sword for a time until a roar from the T.V made her turn and look. Her eyes widened in horror as she saw the largest grimm she'd ever seen race toward a ship that a team of hunters was trying to evacuate.

A on screen the new's reporter put a hand to her ear and she said. "I've just received report that an unidentified object is currently heading this way at high speed." A radar was pulled up that showed a small object racing toward the ship as well. Pyrrha gasped when she saw it was moving nearly six-hundred miles per hour.

The screen then cut back to footage of the evacuation as the last of the people was loaded up and the airship took off. It rose trying to get some distance between it's self and the approaching grimm but was just a little to slow. The enormous grimm leapt out of the water and opened it's jaws wide enough to get the whole ship. The ship swerved and avoided the attack but lost part of a wing in the process.

Pyrrha watched in horror as one of the people who boarded: a boy who couldn't have been more than eight fell out of the one of the doors that hadn't fully closed. Pyrrha's mind jumped back to when she watched Jaune fall from a cliff and she was as powerless now as she had been then. She closed her eye's unable to watch as the boy plunged to his death.

A howl brought her eye's back as the sound of something traveling very fast through the air came through the T.V. A blur at shot through the air and grabbed the boy mid fall. It swooped up and stopped a hundred feet from the air ship. Pyrrha gasped as she saw that it was a man.

The man was clad in a full armor of grey and white, at the face portion of helmet was made of a black reflective almost glass material. Gauntlets covered his forearms with lobstered armor went up to shoulder guards and greaves covered his legs. A chest plate of lobstered metal that was conformed perfectly to his torso covered his chest. Behind him a white cloak swept out flapping behind him in the breeze. He held the boy in in arms and stared at the giant grimm, it stared back at him and did nothing.

After a long pause the man flew the boy over to the ship and placed him inside, he then turned and floated down to the water. To the surprise of all the man actually landed and stood on the water like it was a solid. There the man and the grimm faced each other, like rival wolves starring each other down. The man's hand began to glow and he made the motion of drawing a sword and in a flash a sword appeared in his hand. The weapon was about a foot shorter than the man was, with a black handle and a white cross guard. The blade was but in the light of the sun looked like it was made of gold.

The grimm roared when the weapon appeared and surged forward. The man raised his other hand an the burst with energy, bringing it down he punched the sea and a tidal wave raced out in all directions. The grimm was jumping through it when the sea froze solid. The grimm was frozen in ice with only it's head and one leg free.

Now that it was out of the water Pyrrha could see clearly just out big the thing was. I was three times the size of an Atlesian war ships. It's triangular head alone was big enough to devour a full grown Nevermore and have plenty of room to spare. Her gaze flicked back to the man in armor. Who was this man, a man who can fly faster than sound, hit the sea so hard it created tidal waves, and then freeze all that water along with the grimm inside. No one had that power, not one hunter in all of history had ever done what he just did.

Her amazement was short lived as the grimm began to thrash and the ice began to break. The man took off, flying straight up. The grimm broke the moment he cleared the tops of the waves, it snapped at him and just barely missed.

The man stared down as the grimm crashed beneath the waves, the looked over directly into the camera. The guy running it zoomed in on his face so it covered most of the screen. The man stared for a second, then shot off the direction he came.

The camera man turned the camera back to the reporter and she to it. Her face was flustered and took her a second to find the words. "Well, I don't know what we just witnessed but I for one am amazed at it. Though this leaves us with some frightening questions. How are the Hunters going to fight such a massive grimm, and who is the man in the armor, is he the savior we need."

Pyrrha sat down on the bed and just stared at the screen her thoughts were stirring with the change of events. A announcement over the speakers snapped her back to reality. "Will all students please report to the amphitheater immediately."

Pyrrha rose and went to the bathroom to wash her face that still had dried tears on it. When she was done she went down to the amphitheater and found her team standing with team RWBY. She stood beside Ren put a hand on her shoulder. "You okay." he asked.

She nodded and gave a weak smile. "I'm fine." Pyrrha responded and looked up when professor Ozpin stepped to the front of the stage and spoke into the mike. "Students, do to current events I have decided to change up our curriculum. Your classes involving grimm studies will now be now involve more field research. Also tactics and combat classes will be longer." This brought groans from some students but others merely nodded. They had seen the power of that grimm and knew that improvements were needed if they ever had to face such a thing.

"That'll be all." Ozpin said and was about to walk away when someone yelled out.

"Professor what about the man in the armor." Every one looked up at him expectantly.

Ozpin stopped and turned around, his face was calm as ever but his voice slightly on edge. "You need not worry about that at the moment." He then walked off before they could ask anymore questions.

"He seem off to you." Yang said running a hand through blonde hair.

Blake nodded. "He sounded almost... nervous."

Weiss raised an eyebrow, "What on earth could make Professor Ozpin look nervous."

Now Pyrrha spoke. "Maybe a grimm the size of a mountain or a man who can create tidal waves with a single punch." Weiss had no response to that.

It was still disconcerting that there was something that could make Ozpin nervous was enough of a reason to believe that what ever they were dealing with was serious.

The two teams walked in silence for a time before discussion about the armor rose up. They weren't the only ones, all around them students were talking about him. Ruby had gone back to her self when she talked about his sword, armor and how fast he had moved. She was borderline jumping up and down with an excitement that made everyone smile.

Pyrrha grinned and thought about how much Jaune would have wanted to see the armored figure. He was what Jaune had aspired to be, a knight in shining armor that saved people. Maybe someday she would meet the armored man for the both of them.

Later that night Pyrrha slept and thought of Jaune. She remembered the first time she saw him, when he came racing into the amphitheater on the first day with Ruby. His hair had been messed up and there was dirt on his face but that quirky grin he wore had brought a grin to her face and then later when he had found out who she was, he had been impressed but he didn't immediately start complimenting her but treated her like she was a human with emotions and feelings of her own.

She continued to see moments of her time with Jaune and the rest of their team, until it all began to blend together until she was suddenly standing at the edge of the cliff again. She saw two figures at the edge, one was Jaune and the other was the man in the armor from the news. In the man's right hand was Milo' in it's spear form. The two appeared to be talking though Pyrrha couldn't make out what they were saying.

Then without warning the man in armor raised Milo' and stabbed Jaune in the chest. Blood dripped from Jaune mouth and and he put a hand on the spear and it came away red. He reached out and grabbed the front of the man's helmet, he tried to pull but the blood made his hand slip and all he did was leave a red smear on it. The man then let go of Milo' and pushed Jaune over the edge.

Pyrrha screamed and ran to the edge and looked down to see Jaune falling toward the sea. Turning she tackled the armored figure and pinned him to the ground. "WHY!" she screamed. "Why did you kill him."

The armored figure laughed before saying. "My dear Pyrrha, I didn't do anything." He reached up and pulled his helmet off. Pyrrha gasped, the face she was starring at was her own. The Pyrrha below her smiled a cruel smile and said. "You did."

Pyrrha got off and staggered back shaking her head. The Pyrrha in the armor stood and laughed at her horrified expression. "Face it dear, the one man who will ever love you is dead, and it's all your fault." She laughed even harder as Pyrrha tried to say something but was unable to find words.

The armor Pyrrha kept laughing for what seemed like an eternity until finally Pyrrha woke up. Her pillow was wet with tears and her knees were drawn to up to her chest. "Oh Jaune I'm so sorry."

Second chapter of my first fanfic, please comment and review it really helps and thank you for reading


	3. A Phantom in the Snow

Phantom in the Snow

Ruby groaned as she flopped down on her bed. Training had been brutal today, seven on eight, team RWBY and PNR vs team CRDL and team LNCR (Lancer). CRDL went down in the first two minutes after Cardin had made some joke about how PNR seemed to be missing some one and Pyrrha, Ren, and Nora had completely lost it. The fight had ended with team CRDL had over two dozen broken bones between the four of them. Meanwhile team RWBY had faced off with team LNCR, they were one of the most coordinated teams in the school and their leader Lucifer was a tactical genius. That fight had lasted nearly ten minutes with team RWBY pulling out a narrow victory.

Ruby looked up when she heard the door open to see Yang walk in rubbing her shoulder. "How you feeling?" Ruby asked as Yang went to her bed and lay down. Yang had gone one on one with Ricard from LNCR and the guy had stabbed Yang in the shoulder with his pike, Yang had then nearly dislocated his jaw but even so she was carrying a nice purple bruise as a reminder.

Yang looked over at her and shrugged her good shoulder, "I'll be okay by tomorrow."

Ruby nodded and lay back relaxing her head on her pillow, "We can still go tomorrow right." She asked.

Yang gave a thumbs up. "I talked to Ozpin and he said it was cool." Tomorrow was their day off and Ruby had asked if she could fly out to visit her mothers grave.

The door opened once more and Weiss and Blake came in and collapsed onto their beds. They had been in the library picking up the last bits of information for the quiz next week, they had no intention on studying over the break. "Got everything." Yang called from her bunk.

"Yep it's all good." Weiss said. She threw her coat on her bed and went to the bathroom, there she removed her clothes and turned on the shower. The hot water felt good after a long day. Someone came into the bathroom and she yelled. "A little privacy please."

"Sorry Weiss." Ruby's voice replied. "Just need to brush my teeth." Silence filled the room as Weiss washed her hair and Ruby brushed her teeth. "Hey Weiss." Ruby said.

"What?" She responded getting the last bits of soap out of her white hair.

"Who do you think the man in the armor is?" Ruby asked.

Weiss stopped with her hair and just stood still, for a moment the only sound was the one of the shower. Weiss had thought about who the armored figure was just like everyone else, but she was pretty sure her ideas were as wrong as rest. "I don't know. Why do you ask."

"I don't know, it's just that when I looked at him on screen. I felt like had forgotten something, something important."

Weiss stared at the floor for some time before answering. "Does he remind you of someone."

Now Ruby took her time in responding. "No, but when I saw him, it felt like a part of me fell back into place."

Weiss turned off the shower and wrapped herself in a towel and stepped out. Ruby was putting her tooth brush away and was leaving. She stopped at the doorway and said. "Weiss do you think we know the man under the armor."

"I wouldn't get my hopes up." Weiss said and Ruby left the bathroom. Going to the sink Weiss put her head in her hands and let out a long sigh. She knew what Ruby was thinking, but it was just not possible. Weiss had been there when the rest of team JNPR had arrived back at Beacon all those years ago. She didn't want to believe it but the logical side of her had told her that Jaune was gone, and no matter how much Ruby wanted to deny it he wasn't coming back.

Snowy Forest

Ruby walked through the forest alone, Yang had decided to stay at the bullhead, her hood pulled over her head, her boots crunching down the freshly fallen snow. A breeze blew through the trees and pulled at her cloak, and the cold air turned her nose red. The landscape was as barren as the last time she came her. White, like a canvas that awaited a painter, though Ruby knew that no painter would put his brush to this canvas for a long time.

As she neared the edge forest and the clearing where the alter was she saw something that made her blink. In front of the alter a figure was kneeling. All she saw was a white cloak the flapped out behind him. As she drew nearer she saw that there was a helmet at the figure's side. With a gasp she realized that it was the helmet of the armored man from the news.

She was about to race forward when the man spoke. "This is a dangerous place for a little girl." He said, his voice was deep and calm. He picked up his helmet and put it on, keeping his head bowed so Ruby couldn't get a good look at it. Standing he turned and looked at her, now that they were face to face, Ruby could see that the man was very tall, at least as tall as Neptune. "What are you doing here?" She asked looking up him.

"I came to pay my respects." He said and Ruby looked past at him at the grave.

"Did you know her." She asked.

"No." He said looking back at the grave, "but I owe her a lot."

"What for." Ruby asked trying to get as much information as she could out of him.

"It's personal, but I will always be in her debt for it."

Now Ruby was really curious, what had her mother done so as to have a man like this indebted to her. "What's your name." She blurted out suddenly. The man stood still for a second starring down at her, Ruby was worried that she had just mad a terrible mistake, then he started laughing. It was a warm laugh that brought a smile to her face and made her take a few steps forward.

The man stopped laughing when she approached, she was now close enough that when he cloak flowed out in front of him, she could have reached out and grabbed it. "You've lost something, no someone close to you."

Ruby's eyes widened, "How did you.."

"When you walked forward, you looked like you were reaching out for something that was just beyond your reach." His voice was calm and level but there was sorrow in it.

Ruby hesitated for a moment before saying, "Three years ago, someone very dear to me died. He was my first friend when I went to a new academy and even though he wasn't skilled, he kept trying and eventually was able to kill a Ursa Major by himself. I thought he was going to start improving and succeed, then a week later his own teammate ends up killing him while their on a mission. I know that it was an accident but even so sometimes I wish that he had survived and she had been the one who had fallen." Her voice was trailing off and tears were coming to her eyes now. She'd said it, the thing that she had kept to herself for three years.

She wiped her eyes and sniffed. "And when I saw you on T.V a few weeks ago, it was on the anniversary of his death, and when you appeared, I felt like I was looking at him again." The tears were coming fast now, poring down her face despite her efforts to stop them. Ruby covered her face with her hands, embarrassed, here she was crying like a child in front of a figure with power beyond her comprehension.

Then a hand touched her shoulder and she looked up to see the man standing directly in front of her, his cloak swirling around he like a barrier. His gloved hand reached out and brushed a tear from her face. "What's your name?" he asked.

"Ruby."

"Tell me Ruby, this friend you lost, do you believe that his death was all his teammates fault."

"Well no, but it still wasn't fair." Ruby replied her voice almost childish.

"Let me tell you something Ruby, there is no such thing as a fair death, no matter how you look at it." He crouched down a little so they were now eye to eye. "Do not hold this girl accountable for what happened. Many who live deserve death, and many who die deserve life, so do not be so quick to believe who should die and who should live. For even the very wise cannot see all ends."

Ruby looked into that glassy surface on the front of his helmet, hopping to see the face of the man, but all there was was her own reflection. The tears came again and she pressed herself against him, burying her face in his chest. He held her while she cried and for a small time, she felt safe.

After a time the man put his hands on her shoulders and made her look at him again. "I understand how you feel, and while I can't bring back the dead I can give you a piece of advise. Always remember him, because while he may be gone, you haven't forgotten him yet, and if something can be remembered. It can come back."

With that he stood and turned around. "Always remember Ruby." He said and the a white light surrounded him and he disappeared. Ruby stared at where he had been and then at the grave that he had knelt before. "Thank you Mom." She said, then a shotgun blast rang out behind her and she saw Yang standing at the edge of the trees with three dead beowolves lying around her. "Yang!" She exclaimed.

"Ruby, I wondered what was taking you so long so I came looking for you, ran into some company along the way." Ruby nodded and stood up. When she got close Yang glanced at her. "You've been crying."

Ruby shook her head. "It's just the cold." She said, she wasn't ready to talk about her discussion with the armored man, it was something that she needed to figure out before telling any one.

When they got back to the bullhead they took off leaving behind the snow covered land and the grave that it held. All the ride back Ruby thought of the man and what he had said. "Always remember him." That was what he had said, and she would, and to the howling wind outside she said. "I will never forget."

City of Vale

The man in the armor stepped out of a light and onto the roof of a tall building from where he could see the entire city. As he walked to the edge his armor melted away until all that remained were the gauntlet and shoulder guard on his left arm. Underneath the armor he wore a black body armor vest with and gi with the left side missing. Underneath was a long sleeve black shirt and he had on black pants and boots. Flipping his hood over his head the man then reached to his belt and unhooked a thick black oval and pressed a button, it snapped into a full size quiver with thirty-two arrows in it. He hooked it to his back and the pulled a folded bow off his leg and it opened up to it's full four foot length.

The moon poked through the clouds and a small amount of it's light fell on part of his face, revealing a single blood red eye. He breathed in deeply and thought about his day. "Ruby Rose," he said to himself. "You certainly have grown up." He said, a small smile coming to his lips.


	4. A Ghost of a Lead

Ozpin's office

Ruby stood outside Ozpin's office, nervous as all hell. It had been three days since her trip to her mother's grave and her talk with the armored man. She hadn't told anyone what had happened but she was sure that the reason that she was here was because Ozpin had somehow got wind of what had happened.

Finally a voice said, "Come in." Ruby entered to see Ozpin behind his desk with his ever-present mug of coffee. To his right stood Glynda Goodwitch. Ozpin had his hands laced together and leaned on his desk. His eyes were narrow and more serious than she had ever seen him.

"I assume you know why your here." He said, grey eye's starring at her with an intensity that made her shiver.

Ruby nodded with a gulp but said nothing. "You shouldn't have talked to him." Ozpin said.

"Why?" Ruby retorted a little louder than she should have. "What is so bad about him that makes it so that you can't trust him." Her fists clenched and she glared at Ozpin defiantly.

Ozpin simply stared at her, unfazed by her sudden fury. He reached out and took his coffee, he took a few sips before responding. "Ruby, believe me when I tell you that no matter what he told you, you cannot trust him."

"What is so bad about him. He has done nothing wrong to me and even comforted me when I broke down. You clearly know who he is so tell me, what on earth will he do to me that is bad."

"Ruby I have only suspicions on who he is but trust me when I tell you that it doesn't matter. Who ever wears that armor is not someone who you should interact with." Ozpin's voice contained a deadly edge now.

"And why is that. You keep dodging the question."

"Because he will kill you." Ozpin said. Ruby took step back in surprise.

"Why would he do that?" Ruby asked, shocked by his words. The way the man had spoken to her made it hard for her to see him harming anything except a grimm.

Ozpin sighed, as if admitting defeat. "The armor that he wears, there is only one way that it is made." Ozpin hesitated with his next couple words. Ruby looked at him expectantly. "It's made by taking the aura of those it's wielder has killed. A full set of armor like his is made from the auras of hundreds of thousands of people, though given how powerful he is it would seem that his has millions of auras, and every life it's wielder takes makes it stronger."

Ruby shook her head. "I don't believe that he's killed millions of people just to gain power."

"I don't think he killed millions either. Which means that whoever he got it from has helped build up it's power." Ozpin stood now, "The power comes at a price and I know of only man who would have it, and if he has control over the man we saw, than you will never be safe your around him."

Ruby said nothing and just stared at the floor. "Ruby, what did he say that makes you so sure he's a good guy."

"I think he knows where Jaune is." She blurted.

Ozpin's eyes narrowed, "Jaune had been dead for three years."

"The man said that if something can be remembered, than it can come back. I think he meant that Jaune is alive and he knows where he is." Ruby put her hands on the desk now, "I have to find him again and convince him to tell me."

"How would he know who Jaune was and even if he did how what makes you think he'll tell you." It was Glynda who spoke now. She'd been so quiet that Ruby had forgotten she was there.

"I don't know, but I have to try." Ruby said before turning around and walking out.

Glynda was about to go after her but Ozpin held up a hand. "Don't, she's not going to give up and when she tells the others then there will be no stopping them."

"So what. We do nothing." Glynda asked.

Ozpin shook his head. "No, keep an eye on them and get them to safety at the first sign of trouble. Don't engage."

Glynda nodded. "Do you really think it's him?" She asked adjusting her glasses.

"If it's not him then there is such thing as miracles." Ozpin said taking a long drink from his coffee.

"And if it is." Glynda said raising an eyebrow.

"Then I fear that it will take a god to prevent the hell that will come of it." He said and leaned back in his chair, sighing as he thought of what was to come, and fearing for the members of teams RWBY and PNR, this was gonna take all they had.

Team RWBY dorm room

The members of teams RWBY and PNR sat in the former's room all wondering why Ruby had called them. She had come back from her meeting with Ozpin with a very serious look on her face. She had called team PNR over and assembled everyone in a row. Now she was pacing back and forth while everyone just looked at her. Finally Weiss, who had been tapping her foot in impatience said, "Well, what the hell do you want Ruby."

Ruby stopped pacing and turned to the group. "I think Jaune is still alive." She said.

The room became as silent as a crypt as they all looked at her. It was Ren who broke the silence. "That's impossible, I watched him fall."

Yang looked at Ruby with a confused expression, "Ruby, where is this coming from?" She asked concern etched into her face.

Ruby shuffled her feet and glanced at the floor. "I think I know someone who knows where he is."

Pyrrha leaned forward, a faint hope in her eyes, "Who." She asked hardly willing to hope. Jaune, alive, it seemed to good to be true.

Ruby gulped and said. "The man in the armor."

The surprise on their faces was camera worthy. This time it was Blake who broke the silence. "Why or better yet, why would the man in the armor know anything about Jaune. Also, what makes you think that he knows anything anyway."

"I, may have talked to him." Ruby said and flinch when everyone surged forward so they were one about a foot away.

"YOU DID WHAT!" They yelled in unison.

Ruby recoiled and nearly fell over by their sudden rush. "When was this?" Yang asked leaning really close to her.

"When I went to mom's grave." Ruby replied finding something very interesting on the celling.

"Why would the grey knight be at your mother's grave?" Blake asked, her cat ears twitching from under her bow.

Ruby shrugged. "He said he owed her for something."

Yang raised her eyebrows. "What does he owe mom for?"

"I don't know he said it was personal, but what he did say was that if something can be remembered, it can be can come back." Ruby said, this brought a confused looks to their faces.

"What does that mean." Weiss asked glancing at Ren who just shrugged.

"I think it means that Jaune is alive and that he knows where he is." Ruby said looking at them individually trying to guess what they're thinking.

Weiss spoke once again. "Okay, so you met the man in the armor and he told you in a cryptic as hell way that Jaune is alive."

Ruby nodded. "Yes."

"I get how tempting it is to believe that Jaune, somehow survived and has been alive for the past three years."

A smile appeared on Ruby's face, "Really."

"But let me finish putting this in perspective. So Jaune in three years never made contact with a single member of his family or any of us for that matter." Weiss finished and gazed at Ruby while raising an eyebrow.

Ruby went quiet and stared a the floor before, looking up at team PNR, "What about you guys?" She asked.

Pyrrha nodded. "If nothing else, then I'll meet the man in the armor for Jaune."

Ren nodded as well. "If your right then this is our best shot at finding Jaune if he's alive."

Nora was bubbling with excitement. "YES!" She yelled. "Adventures."

Ruby smiled before looking back at her team. A smile was appearing on Yang's face. "Well things were getting dull around hear anyway."

Blake just shrugged. "I guess it could be fun." Ruby smiled widely at their confirmation, then looked at Weiss who she was willing to guess her answer but was willing to try.

Weiss stood there tapping her foot while they all stared at her. She then surprised them by saying. "I think that this is a ridiculous goose chase, but I can't very well leave my team."

"Alright then, we're in this together." Ruby said feeling hopeful about things.

"Uh, were do we start, the man in the armor could be anywhere." Blake said.

Pyrrha spoke now. "I think I know a good place to start." They all looked at her expectantly. "He said if something can be remembered, so let's all go to the place where we greatest remember him by."

They all just stared blankly though Ren was starting to understand. "To the sea edge cliffs, were we lost him."

Bar in Vale

The bar was quiet this night, only about three customers sitting at tables throughout the room. The owner stood behind the bar and poured himself a glass of whisky. Then the door opened and he saw a man coming through the doorway, and when he saw that his right eye was red, the bartender reached under the counter and pulled out a bottle of Fallen Star Vodka. The man sat down at the bar and the tender passed him a glass. "You look like shit." he said.

The man looked up and just glared at him. "Raven's a hard woman to track down, and a stubborn bitch when it comes to trying to get her to talk." He said, draining his glass in a single gulp.

The bar tender smiled just a little while he refiled the man's glass. "I thought you two were on good terms after, well, you know." He said raising his eyebrows quickly.

The man sighed, "That's the only reason that I got what I was looking for this time." he drained his glass again and again the bartender refiled it.

The man drank only a little this time and set the glass aside. "So what do you have for me?"

The bartender nodded, "was wondering when you would ask." he said and took a drink from his own glass. "Team RWBY and PNR are looking for you."

The man stopped and drained the rest of his glass. "Yeah I guessed that would happen, though I really hopped it wouldn't."

"You told Ruby to much, now she thinks you know where their teammate is."

"I know, it was a mistake to talk to her, but I couldn't leave her there in the snow."

"You've done worse." The bar tender said.

"Not to her, not to them." The man said, his red eye going distant as if he was looking at something that should be there but was no longer.

"So, I assume that you're going to meet them, so my question is, what are you gonna tell them?"

The man sighed. "I have no idea,"

"The truth?" The bar tender asked raising an eyebrow.

The man just chuckled. "You know I can't do that."

"Then what? Will you lie to them." The bar tender asked leaning over the bar.

"I don't know what the fuck I'm gonna do, but the truth is not happening."

"Why?" The bar tender said trying to keep his voice level so as not to attract the attention of the other customers.

"Because the truth is the last thing they need to hear, what do you think would happen if I told them."

"What I think is that you have grown so accustom to living with your secrets for so long that your having trouble brining anyone into them."

"I've been keeping them for a long time for a reason." The man replied pulling a scroll out and checking the time.

"You know where their gonna start?" Bartender said.

The man shrugged. "I've got a decent idea."

The bar tender took the vodka bottle and placed it on the shelf behind him, when he turned back though the man was gone. A stack of fifty lien was sitting on the counter where he had been.

The bar tender looked at the money and smirked. "Good luck." He said scooping up the cash.

Hotel Room

The man stood in his hotel room, looking out the window. He hand been standing there for nearly an hour till he finally wen over to a long metal case that held his stuff. He strapped on his black armor along with the gauntlet and shoulder guard that was part of his other set. He folded the bow and telescoped the quiver and hooked them to their parts on his legs.

He was about to head out when he stopped and turned back to the case. Walking back over he pulled out a bundle and placed in on the bed. He undid one of the ties and let part of the wrapping fall away. Under neath was an object that glinted in the light.

A smirk came to his face. "Your owner probably misses you." He said, watching light bounce off the red and gold object.


	5. The Wraith by the Sea

The Wraith by Sea

Pyrrha stood the locker room strapping on her armor and Akoúo to her back, reaching into her locker she pulled out her spear Fallen Seas, the blade was silver and the cross guard on either side could extend and turn it into a trident, and the handle could compact to create short broadsword. She had made the weapon a week after Jaune's death and the first thing she had done with it was go into the emerald forest and destroyed any grimm she had run into.

Compacting the spear she slid it into the sheath on her back and closed her locker. "Going somewhere?" A voice asked behind her. She turned to see Lucifer leaning against a locker starring at her. He was her height and pretty skinny compared to the many of the other boys at Beacon, brown neatly combed hair fell just above his eyes and his green eyes held the cunning intelligence that made him one of the best huntsman at the school.

Pyrrha smiled when she saw him, "Just a hunting mission with team RWBY." She said and checked the time on her scroll, the last thing she needed was to be late.

"Uh huh, is that all." Lucifer replied raising an eyebrow.

"Well, yeah." Pyrrha said, trying her best to keep a straight face. Lucifer was uncannily good at reading faces.

"Really, because the last time you had that look on your face you had just spoken to Jaune's oldest sister and she had tried to slap you."

Pyrrha winced a little as she remembered her run in Joanna, it was not a happy memory. "Luke, it's just a hunt." She said.

Lucifer pushed himself off the lockers and walked up so he was only about a foot away. "Then why the face?" He asked pushing a strand of her hair back behind her ear.

Pyrrha sighed, keeping him in the dark was not going to be happening. "It's in the same place where Jaune fell."

Lucifer's face twitched a little, "Oh, I'm sorry." He said.

Pyrrha smiled. "It's okay, and there's no need to worry, team RWBY will be there with us and it's just an abnormally large grimm pack we'll be fine."

Lucifer was still worried but simply nodded. "Okay, just be careful." He said and turned around and walked out of the room. Pyrrha stared after him for a time before turning around walking toward the landing pad where team RWBY and Nora and Ren, they were all geared up and ready to go.

Yang was cracking her knuckles and smiling to herself as she thought about meeting the knight. She had had an almost infatuation over him since she saw him throw that punch that caused a title wave. Ruby looked determined, Weiss looked bored as she thought this was a terrible idea, and Black was either nervous or excited because her ears kept twitching under her bow.

Ren and Nora were a different story, they looked as anxious as Pyrrha felt, even Nora was lacking in her usual energy. When they saw Pyrrha approach they began to file on board, "Ready?" Ren asked. Pyrrha simply nodded and they all got on the bullhead and took off.

The ride to the cliffs was a silent one, except for the rush of the wind outside no one spoke. They all thought about what was to come. Those who were optimistic like Ruby were thinking about hearing that Jaune was alive, those who were pessimistic like Weiss, were simply expecting to hear what they believed all along, that he had died on that day and that would be that.

As they approached the cliffs Pyrrha began to get flash backs to that day. She hadn't been back here since it happened and now that she was doing her best to keep her breathing steady. When she last landed on these cliffs, it was last time she had ever seen Jaune, now she was coming back and she may now know where she can find him, funny how things come full circle.

When the ship landed Ren led the way to the cliff where Jaune had fallen. After a few minutes of walking Weiss said, "Do we even know if the man in the armor is going to be here?"

"You got a better idea." Ruby retorted.

Weiss just shrugged, "This just seems like we're relying just a bit to much on just some phrase he said."

"It's the first possible lead we've had in three years and I think this is a limited time offer." Ruby said.

"Besides, if nothing else we get to meet the man in the armor." Yang said checking Ember Celica's firing mechanism.

They continued to debate as they walked, Pyrrha listened for a time before eventually drowning them out in favor of her own thoughts. The thought of seeing Jaune again both made her happy and terrified her. If her nightmares were anything to go on then Jaune would hate, maybe even try to kill her. If that was what would happen, Pyrrha didn't think she'd be able to bring herself to fight back.

Her thoughts continued to mingle until she realized that everyone had stopped. She looked and saw that they were at the edged of the cliff where Jaune had fallen, and there, at the edge, starring out at the sea, stood the man in the armor.

"So you did come after all." He said without turning around.

The group just stared at him and said nothing. Finally Ruby stepped forward and said. "We want to know the truth." She said.

The man turned around and looked at them, "What truth might that be?"

"We want to know, is our team mate who died still alive?"

The man said nothing for a long time. Some began to think that he wouldn't respond at all. Finally he spoke. "This is where he died." He said. They were taken aback by this.

"How did you know that." Ren asked.

"This spot has no relevance to me at all." He said, "So this had to have had some relevance to you." He then pointed at Pyrrha. "And your the one who stabbed him." His tone was matter a fact, but Pyrrha blanched when he pointed at her.

"How did..."

"You look terrified, and when you first walked here, you had guilt written all over your face." The man said.

Pyrrha looked at the ground and said nothing. Yang stepped forward now. "Your avoiding the question. Is Jaune alive or not."

Again the man did nothing. Yang's eyes began to turn red in irritation. "Well!" Ember Celica opened up and she chambered a round.

The man just stared at her. "Calm down girl and you can put the weapons away, they frighten so much as annoy me."

"I'll make you be frightened if you don't answer the god damn question." Yang said her eyes turning a deeper shade of red.

"Very well." He said sighing. He reached behind him and pulled something from under his cloak. They all gasped as they realized it was Milo'. He snapped it to its spear form and threw it so it stuck point first in the ground at their feet. "I found that in the ocean when I was looking for the leviathan, it was sticking out of a boy's body. A boy with blond hair and sapphire blue eyes."

They stared at the spear, then at man, then back at the spear. Pyrrha collapsed to her knees and tears began to stream down her face. So he was gone, and it was her fault. Ruby turned and looked at the man with tears pooling in her eyes. "Why did you tell me that if something can be remembered then can come back if he's gone forever!" She screamed, pulling out Crescent Rose and shooting a bullet at the man.

He held up a hand and the bullet collided with a barrier and plopped to the ground. "I told you that because I had hoped that you would stop looking for him, you'll run yourselves into the ground and never move on with your life. I've been there and I've done that, and trust me when I say many suffered for it." He picked up the bullet and looked at it, it glinted in the sun's light and looked like a star in the palm of his hand. "I don't know a way to make this any easier for you, and I am sorry that you had to hear this from me, but there is no turning back time. I hope your able to move on from this." With that he turned around and began started to walk toward the edge.

"Wait." Pyrrha called out and he stopped. "Do you know if he felt the impact?"

The man simply didn't turn around and just said. "Go home." He said and began waved a hand creating a portal a few feet in front of him.

Before he could step through though the sound of a shotgun blast ripped though the air as Yang fired a shot from Ember Celica. The man turned and held up a hand. However instead of a barrier and instead caught the blast with his bare hand. Flames exploded from between his fingers and raced through the air. "Bull. Fucking. Shit." Yang yelled chambering another round. The man simply looked at her and said nothing. Flame began to emit from Yang's body, "my sister cried for a day when Jaune died, Pyrrha's been crying on that day since it happened and I've watched for three years as they've suffered. Now three years later we find a lead that may mean that Jaune is alive and we can remove this guilt and sorrow from us. Then we find out that the guy who gave us this lead didn't mean what he said and that Jaune is dead."

She began walking toward the man, her body was beginning to glow and fire flashed out from around her. "I don't care who you are, or how much power you have, I will never forgive you, for lying to my sister, AND MAKING HER CRY!" She yelled and threw a punch at him. Had it landed the blow would have killed any human or grimm, but it never reached it's target. The man caught her fist and held it it place. Yang quivered in rage. "Why." She asked. "WHY DID YOU LIE TO US!"

"I DID NOT LIE YANG XIO LONG!" The man roared back.

Yang gasped, how did he know her name. The man stared at her then back at the group. He then reached up to his helm and, grabbing the front, he pulled it off. And the world, stopped.

Teams RWBY and PNR starred in absolute shock and she stared at the man in the armor. There at the edge of the cliff, with the sun creating a halo behind his head, stood Jaune Arc. "I told you the truth, I did die on that day."

Jaune has been found, but is he the same one that was lost. Thank you for your support and please comment and review it helps me a ton. Thank you for reading.


	6. Wrath of an Angel

Wrath of an Angel

The world had stopped for teams RWBY and PNR as they stared at Jaune. When they thought about Jaune they always saw the smiling awkward boy they had know from their first year at Beacon. The Jaune that stood before them was nothing that they had expected, his left eye was still the same sapphire blue that it had been, but his right was now the color of crimson. His hair was also less blond and was now almost the same color as Weiss'. His height was startling, he stood a full head taller than Yang now.

Though the thing that caught their attention and worried them the most was the look he had. The old Jaune had always had a goofy smile on his face and the light about him that gave him the air of a kind person. The look he had now was nothing like that at all, it was an intense glare that projected a cold anger.

Pyrrha looked on him in horror as she tried to say something, but it was Ren who broke the silence, "Jaune, is that really you?" His words came slowly, as if he had trouble believing them himself.

"Yes Ren, it's me." Jaune replied and then glance back at Yang who he realized that he was still holding her fist. He released it and she stumbled back a few feet, her eye's we're wide in shock. She wasn't sure which one was more unbelievable, the fact that Jaune was standing before her, or the fact that Jaune, bumbling, socially awkward Jaune, had just caught her fist when she was berserking and didn't even seem to be trying.

Weiss spoke this time, "you were alive... this whole time." She said. She could hardly believe that the boy who used to flirt with her endlessly was now this grown man with power beyond her comprehension.

Jaune turned his gaze over to her and she flinched under his gaze, "I'd hardly call it living." He said. Pyrrha saw something in his eyes when he said that. 'sadness, pain, remorse.'

Ruby stared at Jaune with tears brimming in her eyes. "JAUNE!" She screamed before dashing forward and wrapped her arms around him. Jaune looked surprised for a moment but then hugged her back. "I can't believe your still alive." She said tears running down her face.

Jaune's eye's went wide as an unknown force slammed into him from the side. He staggered a step then turned to see that Nora had taken a flying leap into him. "Jauney!"

Ren stepped forward then and embraced Jaune like a lost brother, then Blake, then Yang, and even Weiss after a short time. Jaune hugged them all though there was no happiness in his eyes. He then looked at Pyrrha who was still beside Milo'. She looked at Jaune with fear in her eyes. He began to walk towards her slowly, his armor clinking against the ground as he moved, soon he stood over her looking down. They stared at each other for a time then Jaune knelt in front of her then reached a hand out toward her. Pyrrha flinched and closed her eyes, expecting a blow, but all she felt was a hand fall on her shoulder. She looked up to she Jaune looking at her with a look of sympathy on his face.

"Stand up Pyrrha." He said.

Pyrrha gasped when he said that. "What?"

Jaune stood then and held out his hand. "Stand up Pyrrha. Stand up and keep moving."

After a second Pyrrha took it and Jaune hoisted her to her feet as easily as picking up a pen. She stared at him for a long time before finally saying. "Jaune, I'm so sorry."

Jaune's hand came up and stopped her. "You have nothing to apologize for."

Pyrrha tried to say something but all that came was tears, they flowed down her face like two small rivers, then Jaune grabbed her and pulled her into an embrace. Though she couldn't feel his skin under his armor, the heat that radiated from him was warm and comforting.

She could have stayed there forever, but then Jaune released her and stepped back. "Don't cry Pyrrha. It ruins your beauty." He said and Pyrrha's face turned the same color as her hair.

Yang let out a little wolf whistle. "Three years away and now he's a real lady killer." When she said that though Jaune actually flinched and his right eye twitched.

"Yes!" Nora yelled and did a fist pump. "Team JNPR is back in business."

The sadness that appeared in Jaune's eyes was palpable. "Not this time Nora." He said and everyone turned and looked at him with confusion.

"What do you mean." Ren asked.

"I can't stay." Jaune replied.

"Why not." Ruby asked in an almost childish way.

Jaune said nothing and instead began walking toward the edge of the cliff.

"Wait." Yang yelled and he stopped but didn't turn around. "You can't show up like this and then walk off without a word. You still owe us some explaining. Like where the hell have you been." She said.

Jaune said nothing and instead he looked up at the sky and said something that they couldn't hear. Then he said. "Where I have been, and where I'm going, is not your concern."

"How can you say that." It was Blake this time surprising everyone. "We've been mourning you for three years, and we're your friends, doesn't that count for anything."

Jaune turned his head slightly and looked at them out of his red eye. "No." He said and began to head towards the portal that he had created a few minutes ago.

A blur of red flashed past him and he stopped when Ruby stood in front of him, she had Crescent Rose drawn and held it had her side. "Your not leaving us Jaune, not again."

Jaune just sighed. "Ruby, get out of my way."

In response, Ruby slashed Crescent Rose across the portal, making it disappear. She looked back at him and glared, determined not to move. Jaune just looked down her and smirked. "Are you really gonna do this?" Ruby's only response was to cock Crescent Rose, the sound seemed to echo.

Jaune's smirked turned to a glare that made Ruby flinch, but she didn't move. "Fine, if that's how you want it." He flicked his wrist and his sword appeared in his hand, the sun made it look like a bar of light and not a blade. "I'm willing to oblige."

They stood there for a few seconds, saying nothing. Then Ruby launched herself at Jaune, moving faster than most can see. Her scythe came down in a crimson streak, Jaune's sword came up and blocked it. Ruby tensed at the impact, it was like swinging down at mountain.

Jaune shoved her scythe in the air and kicked her in the chest sending her sailing toward the edge. She would have gone over if a massive white hand hadn't caught her, she realized that it came from Jaune. The relief she had vanished as Jaune slammed her into the ground so hard she lost the air in her lungs.

The rest of RWBY and PNR drew their weapons and rushed to help Ruby. Jaune turned and smiled when they closed in, then he was whirling among them, his sword was a blur as he blocked and countered their attacks. Ren didn't want to admit it during the circumstances but he had to admit that in combat Jaune was glorious, every move he made was perfect, he had a grace to how he fought that he hadn't had back at Beacon. Though underneath it all there was a ferocity and brutality that made Ren shiver.

Ruby got back to her feet and joined the fray now. "Freezer Burn!" She shouted and everyone jumped back save Yang who leaped into the air and Weiss who stabbed the ground and froze it. Yang then dropped down and slammed the ground, fire raced across it and the ice turned to steam. Her and Weiss then vanished into the steam, leaving Jaune standing there, he looked unconcerned by the lack of visibility and instead stood up straight an let his sword fall to his side.

Then another call rang out. "Meteor Wing." and Nora leapt out of the fog from Jaune's right with Magnhild raised and a smile on her face. "Hi Jauney." She said and brought Magnhild down. Faster than Nora could see, Jaune stepped forward and swung his sword, the blade laid open Nora's side and she collapsed to the ground, blood spilling from her wound.

Yang was barely a second behind Nora but even so she watched in horror as Jaune, without so much as a blink, cleaved Nora open. Her horror turned to rage and she let out scream. "YOU BASTARD!" She punched out her right fist with every intent to kill him. Jaune simply flicked his wrist and nocked her punch aside with his sword, he then grabbed the blade with his free hands and spun. The blade caught Yang in the stomach and he quickly drew the edge across her stomach, leaving a long gash. Yang collapsed to her knees and wrapped her hands around her midsection, trying to staunch the bleeding.

Now Pyrrha called out a command of her own. "Black Emerald." Now it was Blake and Ren who were on the offensive. They were both fighters who relied on speed over strength, to most their attacks looked liked blurs of black and green. Jaune didn't attack but even so neither Ren nor Blake were able land a single blow on him. Jaune's left hand then shot out and punched Ren in the face knocking him back. Blake then disengaged and fired at him with Gambol Shroud, Jaune just held up a hand an the bullets hit a barrier and bounced off.

Blake and Jaune began to circle each other, their eyes locked. Blake this moment to try and understand he opponent, one of the few lessons from Adam she still used today. She stared at Jaune trying to get why he was doing this, why he was fighting. There was pain in his eyes, that much was obvious, but there was other things as well, fear, anger, and something else. Something that was buried under everything else, something that he had pushed down and tried to bury, that was the truth she needed if she wanted to understand Jaune. So she would force it out of him.

Blake charged with Gambol Shroud as a katana in her right hand and the cleaver in her left. Jaune stepped forward as well and they met with a clash of steel. Blake was in constant motion, dashing around so as to try and find an opening, but there was none. Jaune's sword met hers no matter how she moved. Deciding to change tactics she leapt back and turned Gambol Shroud into a kusari-gama and hurled it at Jaune. Instead of blocking it he caught it and pulled. Blake flew at him and he dropped Gambol Shroud and caught her by the face. He then slammed her into the ground so hard that he created a crater half a foot deep.

Something then stuck Jaune in the back and he turned to see Ren racing at him unloading Storm Flower. Jaune's brought his barrier back up and blocked the rest of the shots. Ren gave up shooting and instead brought both of Storm Flower's blades down attempting to stab Jaune in the head. Jaune's own blade came up and met his and they stood there, their blades locked and glaring at each other.

"You were like a brother to me." Ren said, not even trying to keep the fury out of his voice.

"And you to me." Jaune replied flatly.

"What happened to you?" Ren asked. "What could have possibly happened to make you into this."

Jaune's glared intensified. "More than you ever need to know."

"That's not an answer."

"Well it's the one your gonna get." Jaune snarled and jerked Ren's blades up and kneed him in the gut. As Ren staggered Jaune spun his sword once and then thrust it into Ren's side, missing his spinal column and but still rendering useless. Ren collapsed to the ground and lay there semi-conscious.

Jaune gazed at Ren for a moment before turning to Weiss, Ruby, and Pyrrha. They tensed up and glared at him, Jaune just spread his arms in a mocking gesture. "Well, who's next?"

They all glanced at each other before Ruby said, "Crimson blizzard." Weiss created her time glyph under them and then charged and ice one in front of them. After a brief second Ruby and Pyrrha shot off toward Jaune. A trail of ice was left behind them as they sped, they dashed at Jaune, Ruby swinging Crescent Rose at his head and Pyrrha stabbing Falling Seas at his midsection. Jaune's sword rippled with energy and he swung down, a massive shock wave raced out around him. Ruby and Pyrrha moved around it and circled Jaune twice. It was then that Jaune realized that the ice had grown and he was now closed in by a wall.

Pyrrha and Ruby leapt above him, Ruby began to shoot while Pyrrha dove at him. Jaune blocked the bullets with his sword and caught Pyrrha's trident before it stuck him. He stabbed it into the ground then kicked her straight through the ice wall.

A figure in white dashed out of the shards and stabbed at him. He blocked Myrtenaster came face to face with Weiss Schnee. She glared at him with a hatred that amused him. He smirked and pushed her away.

"You know Jaune, it was pretty nice not having you around." She said putting on a smirk of her own.

"Ya I bet you were leaping for joy when you heard I fell Schnee."

Weiss was shocked by how cold his answer was, it was even more disturbing that it came from the same bumbling fool who used to flirt shamelessly with her.

Jaune smiled at her confusion and charged. Weiss parried his blows but she was driven back all the same by his barrage of strikes. Then Ruby leapt in and fought beside her. Together they did whirled against Jaune in a blur of steel and dust.

Though Ruby and Weiss fought hard and they were both skilled fighters, Jaune slowly began to gain the upper hand on them. The fight ended when Jaune grabbed Ruby by the collar and threw her behind him. Then when Weiss tried to freeze him, Jaune actually reached out and pulled the ice from the air, swirled it around his hand and then shot it into Ruby, encasing her. Weiss stabbed at Jaune in a rage but he grabbed her rapier by the blade, then brought the pommel of his sword down and broke her wrist. Jaune then ripped the blade out of her hand and stabbed her in the shoulder with it. Her feet came out from under her and Jaune pinned Weiss to the ground through Mrytenaster. She screamed in pain as she felt her shoulder blade crack and the muscles in her shoulder tear.

Jaune then turned to see Pyrrha standing about ten feet away with Milo' in her hand in it's xiphos form. Jaune look at her and sighed. "Do you really think you can beat me?" He asked, her only response was point Milo' at him. "Very well." He said and raised his own sword.

They both charged and their blades met in the center. Pyrrha was skilled but her heart wasn't in it, that much was clear to Jaune. She finally messed up when she stabbed at him and Jaune caught her wrist and twisted Milo' from her. He then punched her and knocked to her knees. He stood over her, Milo' raised pointed at her backhand.

Pyrrha looked up into Jaune's eyes, there was no anger in his eyes, not even sadness, there was nothing. "Jaune, I'm so sorry, about every thing." She said. She lowered her head in penance. "Could you ever forgive me."

Jaune said nothing for a long time, then he finally replied. "What happened three years ago is no longer important."

"Then why can't you come back." Pyrrha asked.

"Because there things that I must to do," he relied.

"That's not an answer." She said.

"Pyrrha." Jaune said, his voice firm. "Stop chasing after me, you found happiness you just have to take it."

Pyrrha looked at him wide eyed. "What happiness have I found?" She asked.

Jaune gave her a hard look. "Lucifer."

Pyrrha looked at Jaune in shock. "How..."

What she was going to say was interrupted when a blast of purple energy exploded behind Jaune and knocked though the air. He rose to see a half dozen flaming blunderbuss rounds flying at him. Jaune held up his hand that still held Milo' and created a barrier that blocked the shots. He looked to he Professors Glynda, Oobleck, and Port standing just inside the clearing with weapons drawn. "That's enough Arc." Glynda said pushing her glasses up.

Jaune glared at her then swung his sword behind him, creating a portal. Before walked through he looked back at Pyrrha and then at Milo'. He snapped the weapon into it's spear form and drew it back. Pyrrha gasped in fear as Jaune hurled it at her. The weapon struck in the ground a foot from her and stuck their quivering. He then turned and walked through the portal and disappeared.

Pyrrha stared at the space where Jaune had been, she felt like there was something she should have said, something about Lucifer or about how she still wanted him to come back, but the only sound was that of the wind rushing through the trees. She looked up at Milo' the last time she'd seen it, it was sticking out of Jaune's chest. Now the last time she'd possibly ever see Jaune, he had thrown it at her. A single tear fell down her face, it seemed like her sorrow was the only thing that hadn't change.

* * *

 **What has Jaune become, and what will he do? Please review and take your best guess on what Blake saw in Jaune's eye. Thank you for reading**


	7. Fears of the Future

Fears for the Future

Pyrrha sat down at the cafeteria table with her team and team RWBY. Their usual happy demeanor was gone, replaced by a sullen silence that permeated the table. It had been six days since their fight with Jaune and half of them were still wearing bandages to remind them of it. Nora and Ren both needed crutches to walk and Weiss still had no use of her right arm. Yang could do little more than walk without causing her to double over in pain, Ruby had to take special pills so as to keep her body at the right temperature until it could do so on it's own and Blake would have back spasms if she over extended. The only one that was still in decent physical condition was Pyrrha, but she was so emotionally messed up that she was even worse than the rest of them.

They ignored all the looks that they got from the other groups. They'd been getting them since they got back. People wanted to ask questions on why two of the best teams at the school came back from a mission with some of them more dead than alive. At first some tried but after tears came and team LNCR stepped in, the attempts stopped.

Pyrrha glanced over at team LNCR who sat at the next table and her eyes connected with Lucifer's. She quickly looked away and picked at her food. Lucifer winced, she'd been avoiding him since she got back and he hadn't been able to find a chance to ask her what was going on.

To Pyrrha she couldn't look at Lucifer with seeing the cold hearted expression that Jaune had worn when he had said Lucifer's name. 'How had he known.' She had asked herself this every day since that moment but every time she did the only other thought that came was that she was the reason Jaune had never and would never come back. That thought always brought tears to her eye's and made her loose the strength to do anything.

The rest of day passed slowly for Pyrrha, it seemed longer than the others and when it was over Pyrrha went to the roof where she Jaune used to train. She hadn't been up here since Jaune had fallen, it brought back to many memories. Pyrrha could still hear the ringing of their weapons, she had always felt closest to Jaune when they were up here and when she had looked into his eyes she had always seen the potential he had to become the hero he always wanted to be. But that Jaune was gone, she had killed him, and the Jaune that she fought at the cliff had been someone else. It had been like her nightmares had come to life.

The wind rushed through Pyrrha's hair as she stared out from the roof's edge. It sounded like the world sighing and only made her own sorrow come out even more.

"Been awhile since you were up here," a voice said behind her making her jump.

Pyrrha turned to see Lucifer standing inside the doorway, his hands in his pockets. "Luke, what are you doing up here?"

Lucifer walked out onto the roof and up to her. The wind pulled at his hair making it slick back. "I want to know what happened." He said when he was less than arms length from her.

"What do you mean." Pyrrha asked trying to delay the inevitable question that was sure to come.

"Just an abnormally large grimm pack." He said and Pyrrha dropped her head. "Between your team and team RWBY, I doubt there's a pack large enough to do that kind of damage to the seven of you."

Pyrrha stared at her feet and said nothing, the a hand touched her chin gently and Lucifer pull her head up so she was looking into her piercing green eyes. "Come on, if nothing else I'm your friend right." He said, his voice was soft and kind.

A small blush appeared on Pyrrha's face and to her surprise, she smiled. "That's better." Lucifer said.

Pyrrha finally gave in, "you won't tell anyone right."

"Of course not."

"We found Jaune." Pyrrha said after a pause."

Lucifer froze. "And he did that to you."

Pyrrha nodded. "He was less than happy about us finding him. He was so angry, and so powerful." She shivered as she remembered watching cutdown her teammates one by one.

"That doesn't sound like Jaune." Lucifer said.

"I don't want to believe it, but it was him." Pyrrha said shaking her head. "But thats not all of it."

Lucifer raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean."

"Luke he knew, he knew about us. When we were together."

Lucifer let go of her and his eyes widened. "How..."

"I don't know Luke but he knew and when he looked at me, he was so cold." Pyrrha closed her eyes to try and hide her tears but some leaked out anyway.

Suddenly Lucifer pulled her chin back up so she looked at him again, but this time he didn't say a word, instead he pulled her close and kissed her. It was a gentle kiss, and Pyrrha hesitated at first but soon she gave in and kissed him back.

They stood there for a long time, how long neither of them could have guessed. When they finally broke they stood in silence with Lucifer holding Pyrrha with she pressing her head against his chest.

After a time Pyrrha let out a little chuckle which caused Lucifer to look at her, "what?"

Pyrrha smiled, it was small but it was a beginning. "Oh nothing." She said, but in her mind she thought. 'Maybe you were right Jaune.'

Jaune's Hotel Room

Jaune was pouring himself another glass of whiskey when he heard Raven enter the room. He looked over just in time to see the rest of her red portal dissipate. She was wearing a form fitting red dress with black accents near the bottom, her crimson eyes stared into his red and blue ones.

After a brief pause Jaune eyed her up and down and said. "Night on the town." He said taking a drink from his glass.

Raven looked down at her attire and shrugged. "I dress to impress." She took a few steps toward him, swaying her hips hypnotically as she did so. "What, you not like what you see."

Jaune just laughed, he raised his glass to her and drained the rest of it. "I'll give it to you, you certainly know how to set a mans blood on fire, but I'm not looking for another bedroom sparring session with you."

One of Raven's black eyebrows slid up. "Really, but the last one was so much fun."

"I can't say, I was so drunk last time I don't remember most of it. Come to think of it so were you. How do you even remember it." Jaune said refilling his glass again.

"Eh. I guess my memory is slightly better than yours." Raven said as she went over and took a seat on the couch, crossing one leg over the other.

"That's not saying much." Jaune replied and drained his glass again. He stared out at the moon thought about what had happened.

Raven surveyed the room and her eyes fell on the three empty bottles of whiskey that were in the corner then up to the near empty one that rested on the desk. "You okay?" She asked and watched as Jaune's gaze hardened and his grip tightened on the glass.

"I'm fine." He said and Raven just raised an eyebrow.

"Bullshit." She said keeping her voice level.

Jaune sighed and glance out at her from his blue eye. "I saw team RWBY and the rest of team JNPR."

Raven nodded. "I know." She had watched the fight from a distance and was about to step in if it hadn't been for Glynda.

"I knew they were angry and sad. But when I saw them and when I tossed Milo to them, it was like looking at Shira all over again." Jaune drained his glass and after examining it for a second turned and hurled it against the wall where it shattered to pieces.

Raven said nothing for a long time, she had known Jaune for only three months and she new only a fraction of his story, but from what she did know, Jaune had a very complicated past and the majority of it was less than pleasant. The one time she had looked into his thoughts through his aura, she had nearly passed out from the flood of pain, anger, and sorrow that Jaune had bottled up inside him. Though despite all this he never pulled people into it his misery, he kept everyone he could out of it and faced it alone. It was admirable but saddening at times as it made working with him an aggravating. Finally she decided to speak. "Do you regret not telling them the truth."

Jaune leaned on his desk. "No." He said sat down in a chair and breathed in deeply. "I don't regret anything."

"Then what's tearing you up? The fact that you had to hurt them."

"That was necessary, they had to stop looking for me. They'd only get hurt."

Raven stood and walked to the window. "Are you concerned that you'd be the one who hurt them, or that he would."

Jaune's knuckles cracked as his hands turned to fists. "Either way, if they've stopped looking then they're out of harms way and that's enough for me." He said and when he looked up Raven was standing right in front of him with her hands on his shoulders.

"Then stop beating yourself up over it. Your just gonna get yourself killed. Especially with what I have to show you." Raven said and pressed something into his hands.

Jaune looked at it and saw it was an envelope. He opened it and saw inside the photograph of a man with brown hair and eyes, wearing very expensive clothing and talking on a scroll. "Who's the rich guy." He asked handing it back to Raven.

"Gregory Brown." Raven said taking the photo back. "He's a high standing stock holder who run's the Schnee branch in Vale."

Jaune raised an eyebrow. "Okay, this is relevant because..."

Raven smiled, just a little, but she was starting to get his attention. "Last night he met with one Neopolitan to discuss something."

Now Jaune was smiling. "He still at work?"

"He'll be there for another hour."

Raven was now smiling widely as she saw a grin spread across Jaune's face. "I'll meet you outside the building in three minutes." He said and Raven walked through a portal winking seductivly as she did so.

Outside Schnee Building

Jaune and Raven stood on the roof of a building across the street from the Schnee headquarters. They were both dressed for combat, Jaune in his black garb with aura armor gauntlet and shoulder guard on his left arm. His bow was in his left hand and a short, strait single edged blade attached to his hip, in his right hand he held a full face grimm mask. Raven was in her red and black attire with a her katana in it's sheath and her grimm mask already on.

"What's the plan?" Jaune asked putting his own mask on.

Raven thought for a moment before replying. "He's got thirteen men in the hallway that leads to his office and another four inside. In the floor below that he's got twenty."

Jaune nodded once. "Guy doesn't fuck around does he."

"I'll take the one's below and you clear out the office." Raven finished, the dust viles in her sheath spun and she created a portal next to her. " I'll meet you in his office in two minutes." She said before stepping through and disappearing.

Jaune smiled behind his mask and created a portal of his own, "challenge excepted."

Hallway

The guard yawned and stretched as he checked the time. He'd been standing in the hallway for nearly three hours and he was bored as hell. That rich bastard in there didn't pay them enough to have them stand around all day. He was thinking about just leaving when a light flashed off to his left and he turned to see a portal swirling at the beginning of the hallway and three arrows flew out followed shortly by a figure in black leaping out with a fourth arrow drawn.

Jaune released his fourth arrow while he was still in the air and rolled when he hit the ground. His first four shots each hit a guard, three were kill shots and the last took a man in the shoulder and made him stagger into the wall.

Coming out of his roll Jaune threw a short dagger into a man who was leveling his gun, the dagger released an electric shock that fried the man's nervous system. Jaune blocked a swing from the short red sword that the guards had with his bow and punched the man in the gut before turning and blocking a strike from a guard behind him. He pushed the guard's sword aside then back handed him with the bow knocking him out. Whipping around he turned and fired an arrow into the guard he had fought first, it took him in the chest and he went down. Two more came in now and a flurry of blows were exchanged. Jaune blocked one sword and punched it's owner in the jaw, drawing his sword he ducked under another blade and stabbed the man in the gut then turned and slashed the others neck open.

Pulling the sword out Jaune rushed the next two, he side stepped the swing of one and shoved the man behind him, kicking the next in the chest Jaune brought his sword down and cleaved into the mans sternum and halfway down his chest. The guard behind him was charging now and Jaune let go of his sword and saw the two in front of him were readying their guns. Ducking the swing from the guard behind him and spun behind his back, the man let out a gurgle as the two other guards fired they're guns. Drawing another arrow Jaune aimed the bow over the guards shoulder and fired the left guards chest. After a second the arrow exploded took out the guard next to him.

Jaune took a deep breath as he let his anger drain out. He was about to head through the door when the sound of a gun cocking sounded behind him caused him to turn around. It was the guard who had been hit the shoulder in his first volley. The guard was raising a pistol with his uninjured arm and was attempting to hold it steady. Pulling out another shock dagger Jaune threw it at him, it took the guard in the eye and his body convulsed from the electricity that was going directly into his brain. After a final spasm the guard went limp and blood began to come out of his eyes, nose, mouth, and ears.

Turning back to the door Jaune knew that the guards on the other side were probably aiming their guns at the door, he'd have to be fast so they didn't get a shot off. He took a deep breath before kicking the door in and firing an arrow that released a bright flash when it hit the floor in the center of the room. Diving in Jaune fired two arrows from into the guards on his left then pulled out two more daggers and got the two by the desk. Jaune turned to the desk and walked up to Gregory who sat behind it and looked very scared. Grunts behind him made Jaune look over his shoulder to see a guard come sailing through a portal with Raven's katana sticking out of his chest. Raven stepped out less than a second later and pulled the blade from his chest.

"Your late." Jaune said turning back to Gregory. Raven said nothing and just walked up to the desk and looked at Gregory, who looked about ready to wet himself.

"Wha... What do you want." Gregory stuttered out.

"Yesterday a woman named Neopolitan met with you. What did she want."

Gregory shook his. "I don't know what your..." What he was going to say was cut off when Jaune stabbed a knife into his wrist.

"Think Greg, pink and brown hair, carries a parasol."

Gregory tried to shake his head again but Jaune twisted the knife and he gave in. "Okay, okay. She wants to break Torchwick out of prison and she paid me to get her in, and once he's out give them access to the dust stores, thats all there is I promise."

Jaune glared at him from behind his mask. "Thank you." He said before punching Gregory in the face and knocking him out. After grabbing his sword he and Raven teleported onto the roof of the building where they had met.

"What now?" Raven asked removing her mask.

Jaune pulled his own mask off and thought for a second. "Go to the dust stores for this branch of Schnee see if there's anyone who's shady."

Raven nodded. "And you?"

"I'm gonna go to the prison and try and figure out when it would possible to break Roman out."

"Okay." Raven walked up and kissed him on the cheek. "Have fun." With that she walked through a portal and vanished.

Jaune smiled and was about to go back to the hotel when a instinct that had been born after years of life or death combat screamed in his head and he rolled to his left. A lance struck the ground where he had been, to his shock he realized it was a Wind Lance, all black with silver markings on the blade. Turning Jaune saw a figure step back from the edge of a building three back from his. He raced over there, covering the distance in only a few seconds.

Jaune reached and looked around, a figure leapt from the shadows sword raised. He caught the man's wrist and flipped him onto his back. Then three more came out and surrounded him. They all wore long grey coats with hoods up. In their hands they held long curved scimitar.

Releasing the one on the ground Jaune's sword flashed from it's sheath as he drew it and clashed with the attackers. He blocked a swing with his bow, then parried another with his sword. Spinning he brought the bow in a back hand swing across one man's head knocking him out before ducking a swing and stabbing another. Turing Jaune threw his sword into one of the remaining two and shot the last one threw the foot with and arrow, pinning him in place.

Grabbing him by the collar Jaune pulled the man in close. "Why are you hear." He whispered, venom dripping from his voice.

"You know well enough." The man replied.

Jaune growled before smashing the man's face and knocking him unconscious. Then clapping rang out from the building and a man wearing a black version of the attackers cloths stepped out. "Bravo, bravo." He said still clapping. His hand went up and pulled off his hood. Jaune gasped in dismay as he saw the one man, he had least wanted to see. "I would expect nothing less from my heir." The man said smiling.

* * *

 **Who's this man who calls Jaune his heir, and what will come of all this. No one has guessed right on what Blake saw in Jaune's eye but some of the guesses are interesting. Please review as it really helps and thanks for reading.**


	8. Questions with no Answers

Questions with no Answers

Team RWBY and PNR stood in the elevator heading up toward Ozpin's office. They had been told by Professor Port that he wanted to see them but didn't say what it was about. The thing they were all guessing was that he wanted more information on Jaune but some of the more practical ones like Weiss and Blake said that it had been nearly two weeks since their encounter with Jaune that it was probably about some new mission.

"What do you think it will be if it is a mission." Nora asked leaning her head against Ren's shoulder. She had become far more mellow since their fight with Jaune, she'd lost her bubbling energy and had started to take things more seriously. While Ren had been glad to see her mature, the anger he held for Jaune was scary.

Yang shrugged. "Probably some hunt or scouting."

The doors opened and they stood outside Ozpin's office and Ruby went and nocked on the door. "Come in." Ozpin's voice echoed from within.

Opening the door they stepped in and saw that Ozpin wasn't alone in the room. To their horror they saw that it was Jaune. He wore a form cut black dress jacket and a white dress shirt. Turning Jaune looked at them out of his blue eye. "Sup." He said a small smile forming on his face.

To no ones surprise Yang raced across the room at Jaune, she didn't have Ember Cilcia but she could deliver a strong blow even without it.

"Enough!" Ozpin yelled, slamming his cane into the ground. Yang stopped a few feet from Jaune who hadn't even moved. "I didn't call you up here so you lot could have another brawl in my office." He said and stood form his desk.

"Why is he here." Ren growled glaring at Jaune who just gave him a blank stare.

After a few tense seconds Jaune turned to Ozpin and said. "I'm gonna head to my room and unpack." Picking up the large metal case that was beside him, he walked strait passed them and out the door.

The two groups surged up to Ozpin once Jaune was gone. "Why the hell is he here." Weiss yelled at Ozpin and the others shared her state of mind.

Ozpin stared for a few seconds his eyes narrowed. "If your not going to watch your tongue, then at lest mind your tone." He said his voice deadly serious causing them to simmer down. "Jaune has his reasons to come back and he will be resuming his schooling."

Nora spoke now. "So he gets to come back after three years and after nearly killing us with no repercussions. What else is he gonna resume being leader of team PNR."

"No." Ozpin said surprising them. "Jaune stated that he would not come back to team PNR unless you allowed it."

Team PNR nearly staggered when they heard this. They hadn't expected to hear this, that Jaune would request no to be placed back on his own team. "If he's not going to come back to the team why did he come back at all."

Ozpin said nothing for a long time, he just stared at them from over his glasses. "You'll have to asked him that yourself." He said then poured himself a cup of coffee, signaling an end to the conversation.

They stood there for a long time, then Ren turned and walked toward the door. "Ren." Nora called after him. "Where are you going?"

Ren didn't stop walking but replied. "To ask him myself."

Jaune's Room

Jaune walked up to his dorm room and unlocked the door. He opened it to find one bed with a nightstand, and dresser. Walking in he placed the metal case on the floor and opened it. The top held his bow quivers, sword, knives and the gauntlet and shoulder guard of the aura armor. Bottom held his cloths, armor and hidden under it all was a bottle of Fallen Star Vodka. Putting the cloths in the drawer Jaune looked out the window wondering what to do, he didn't start classes till tomorrow.

A certain location came to his mind and a few minutes later he stood on the roof where Pyrrha used to train him. Images came to his mind, memories he had forgotten came back and he saw he and Pyrrha up hear, their blades locked in dance that was done to a music that only they could hear.

Jaune flinched and pushed those thoughts to the back of his mind, they were unreachable now and there was no point in chasing after them. He was brought out of his thoughts by the sound of gun cocking behind. Turning he saw Ren standing on the doorway to the roof pointing Storm Flower at him. Jaune just sighed and gazed at him with a bored look on his face. "How are you doing Ren." Ren just glared and said nothing. "If your not gonna ask anything and your not gonna shoot what are you gonna do." Jaune finally asked after a pause.

"How did you survive." Ren finally said.

Jaune just raised an eyebrow. "That's your first question."

"Well I'm pretty sure you have no intention on telling me why you came back so yes, that's my first question."

Raising his hands in surrender Jaune said. "My aura went berserk when I hit the water, I'm not positive on the specifics but I can say that all of it was released at once and it shielded me."

Ren's hands tightened on his gun. "Why did you attack us."

Now it was Jaune's turn to say nothing. His silence aggravated and his finger was about to pull the trigger when suddenly Jaune flicked his right arm and a dagger flew through the air nocked one of his pistols from his hands. Ren watched it fall behind him then looked back and shot at Jaune.

Jaune sidestepped the shots and rushed at Ren. Ren fired a few more bursts before Jaune was right in front of him. Jaune grabbed Ren's wrist, twisted his other pistol out of his grip, then threw him across the roof. Ren stood and put aura into his hands and charged Jaune. He sent a flurry of strikes at Jaune with his hands and feet, each one was perfectly timed and was delivered with complete precision. Even so Jaune blocked each one, turning aside a jab Jaune responded with an elbow that took Ren in the nose jerking his head back. Using his free hand Jaune straitened his hand and jabbed Ren in the throat. Ren gasped and his hand went to his throat, his feet were then yanked out from under him when Jaune tripped him.

Ren lay on the ground gasping for air while Jaune walked past and looked up at the moon. "I didn't come to this school to fight you guys Ren." He said turning and looking down at Ren.

Looking up Ren saw Storm Flower laying in front of him. Grabbing it he came up to one knee and spun trying to slash Jaune. His swing was stopped when Jaune reached out and caught Storm Flower by the blade. Blood began to run down the green blade and onto the ground, Ren looked surprise. "Jaune, why didn't you use your aura?"

Jaune said nothing and just let go of Storm Flower and walked to the door. "Jaune." Ren called out and he stopped and looked at him out of his red eye.

"It's gone Ren, I lost it after the fall." With that Jaune walked through the door and disappeared. Ren stared after him then looked down at Storm Flower's blade, it was smeared with blood, three years, three years without an aura and Jaune was still alive, it was impossible to imagine.

After a little bit of time Ren walked back to the dorm. When he opened the door Nora smiled. "Hey you. Where'd you... go." She trailed off when she saw Storm Flower dripping blood. "Oh my god Ren what happened." She said and raced up to him and started checking him for injuries.

Ren grabbed her hand and stopped her. "I'm fine," he said.

"Then who's blood is that?" Nora asked.

The door to the bathroom opened and Pyrrha stepped out in a nightshirt and short shorts. When she saw Storm Flower she dropped the towel she'd been using to dry her hair and rushed over to Ren, "Who's blood is that!" She screamed and looked him over.

"It's Jaune's." Ren said in a detached voice.

The two girls stopped fussing and looked at him with shocked faces. "You didn't..."

"Of course not. He's to skilled for me to kill him."

"Then how did you." Pyrrha started to say but Ren interrupted her.

"He caught Storm Flower with his bare hand." Ren said starring at the blade.

"But Jaune has a ton of aura it should have protected him." Nora said.

Ren shook his head. "He said he doesn't have an aura. He said he lost it after he fell."

They both looked shocked and stared at him in amazement. "How did he survive all these years." Pyrrha said and turned and looked at Corcea Mors, Nora and joined her and they all stared at the sword as questions about their former team leader raced through their heads.

Jaune's Room

Jaune stood in his room with a glass of vodka in his hand, looking up at the mirror he raised the glass and said. "To my first day back," and he drained the whole glass. Setting the glass down he looked at his hand where the gash still ran across.

Closing his eyes Jaune focused hard and after a few seconds his hand glowed white and the cut began to close slowly. It took a solid minute to completely heal and when it was done Jaune collapsed to his knees, barely catching himself on the nightstand. He stayed there on one knee panting like he had just run a marathon. Then single drop of blood fell onto his other hand. Bringing his hand up Jaune felt under his right eye and it came away bloody.

Going to the bathroom Jaune looked into the mirror and saw that blood was coming from his red eye in a steady stream. Grabbing a towel he pressed it to his eye and staunched the blood till it stopped. He leaned against the counter and stared at his reflection. "Jaune, you fucking idiot."

* * *

 **What happened to Jaune's Aura? Thank you all who have supported this story and thanks for reading, updates should start to come faster now that I'm out of school so they may go to every other day or so. Please review it really helps and thanks for reading.**


	9. A Glimpse of the Dawn

A Glimpse of the Dawn

Jaune yawned as he walked down the hallway towards Oobleck's history class. When he entered the room went silent and everyone looked at him. Word of his return had gone around the school like wildfire, the reactions had been mixed with most being frightened when they saw his red eye. It had been hilarious when team CRDL had seen him and looked into his eye. Though it was not confirmed it was believed that Russell had wet himself.

Taking a seat in the back Jaune pulled out his scroll and checked the message he just got from Raven. " **Nothing so far at the dust store, but I'll keep looking.** "

Jaune sighed, he hadn't expected the search to be easy but even so he and Raven had come up empty on both the stores and the prison. There was nothing that suggested that there was going to be any sort of breakout or break in and no one seemed to know anything.

After a few moments Jaune typed back. " **Okay, do one last search but we need to meet soon and discuss this."**

" **Fine, Sam's bar."** Raven responded.

" **Of course."**

Raven sent back a smiley face with the next message. " **Looking forward to it, have fun at school."** A heart punctuated the end of the sentence.

Jaune glared at the screen. "Cute." He muttered. He was pulled out of his thoughts by Professor Oobleck zipping about the room and speaking faster than a machine gun all the while not spilling a single drop of coffee. 'God how does he do that.' Jaune thought. Something caught his eye and looking down he saw that Pyrrha kept glancing back at him. When he looked at her in turn she quickly turned and focused up front. This caused Lucifer to glare at him from two rows down. Jaune just sighed, not willing to have a stare down in the middle of class.

The next three class all passed in this similar fashion. Jaune said little and thought much. On his way to combat class a message Raven took his attention. " **Found something interesting, an employee at the stores has a keycard that seems to get him everywhere.** "

Jaune stopped and leaned on the wall as he thought. " **Tail him and when he's alone interrogate him and find out what you can. Tell me about when he says at the bar.** "

Putting his scroll away Jaune walked into combat class and sat in the back. He didn't need to look to see Glynda glaring at him from the front, she had been less than happy when he had come walked into Ozpin's office and if Ozpin had't been as calm as he was there would have been a pretty destructive fight.

Once class started Glynda ran through a couple matches, Mercury vs Weiss, Russell vs Sun, and Ruby vs Lucifer. That fight had been pretty intense with Ruby's scythe clashing with Lucifer's tonfas. Lucifer had won but it was so close that it could have gone either way.

"Okay we have time for one more match sooo..." Glynda trailed as she scanned her scroll and looked at the class, her eyes trailed up and settled on Jaune. "Mr. Arc you'll fight." A dozen hands went up. Jaune just chuckled at the amount of people who wanted to face him. Most of those being members of team RWBY and PNR. Glynda just rolled her eyes and said. "Emerald Sustrai." Emerald looked surprise but then gave a small smile.

In the locker room strapped on his armor but instead of his aura armor gauntlet and should guard he took out a black gauntlet and shoulder guard made of a dust reenforced composite. Strapping his quiver on and with his bow in hand and sword at his side he walked out onto the floor.

Many leaned forward in interest, eager to see what Jaune could do after two years away. A few still expected him to be the same clumsy and weak boy that he had been during his first time at Beacon. His new look at the very least had people intrigued, the black getup and bow were a far cry different from the knight with sword and shield.

Emerald was curious on what the boy could do. She knew next to nothing about him except that he had gone on some mission and had gotten killed. Though looking at him now Emerald found it difficult to believe anything killing him.

Glynda set the aura meters and to the confusion of many, Jaune's meter never reached the green, it got to the mid yellow than stopped. The countdown clock started and Emerald drew pistols while Jaune readied and arrow. When the clock hit zero Jaune fired his arrow, the shot hit Emerald's left pistol and nocked it to the side. Emerald did waste anytime in firing with her right gun. Jaune twisted letting the shot go past him, pulling out a throwing knife he threw it and hit her other gun. Taking his opening Jaune fired an arrow straight at her chest. Emerald turned her guns into sickles and hacked the arrow out of the air. Jaune fired another and again she hacked it in two. As the arrow fell Jaune pressed a button on his bow and the arrow head exploded, nocking Emerald flat on her back.

Jaune rushed her intent on getting close and letting his sword do the rest, before he got within ten feet of her Emerald she detached her sickles and spun to her feet swinging them on chains. Jaune leapt back and raised his right arm, one blade skirted off his armor and made him stagger, the other slashed his cheek open. The cut wasn't deep, but it was long and painful. Emerald brought the sickles around again and Jaune drew his sword dagger style, he blocked the first swing and leapt over the second front flipping as he did so and rolling when he hit the ground, coming up right in front of Emerald. With both of her sickles thrown out she had no way of defending the flurry of blows that Jaune rained on her.

Emerald fell back under Jaune's assault as he drove into a corner then hooking an arm under her armpit he threw her over his hip and slammed her into the ground. Raising his sword the room went quite as Jaune brought it down and stabbed it right next to Emerald's head. She glanced at the blade only an inch from her and then back into Jaune's eyes. She blushed under his gaze and the position they were in, with him pinning one arm above her head with his bow hand and his knee between her legs, all the while their faces were only inches apart.

The sound of match horn going off snapped them out of the moment. "Winner Jaune Arc." Glynda said.

Jaune stood and sheathed his sword, reaching down he offered Emerald a hand which she took and he pulled her to her feet. Looking up at the bored Jaune sighed in annoyance as he saw that his aura was already in the low orange from only two hits, one he had only used his aura to keep the blade from hooking on his cheek.

Without a word Jaune walked out of the arena, leaving Emerald starring after him, very intrigued on this boy that had fallen. 'Well he's soaring now.' She thought and walked back to the locker room herself.

After putting his gear in his locker Jaune left the locker room and went to lunch. After grabbing his food he sat down and pulled out his scroll and began to run through all the data he had the prison. After casing out the place and hacking into their systems twice Jaune had determined that the only way to get someone out would be in an all out jail break. With Torchwick under twenty-four surveillance and guard and in the open section that he was in, there was no way to sneak someone both in and out without being spotted. 'Maybe Raven has something slightly better.' He thought finished his meal.

Standing up Jaune took his tray and left the bench. As he walked down the rows to put his tray away a red blur appeared next him and he staggered as it rammed into him. Turning to see what it was Jaune saw that it was Ruby, she had fallen backward and was now sitting on the floor rubbing her head. "Ow, that really hurt." She said looking up. She let out an audible squeak when she saw that it was Jaune standing over her. "Jaune, I'm so sorry, I wasn't watching where I was..." She trailed off when saw Jaune reach out and offer her a hand.

"You shouldn't stay on the floor Ruby, there's germs down there." Jaune said in a flat voice. After a moment Ruby accepted his hand and stood up. Jaune walked out the door after that and wandered the campus till his next class happened. The rest of the day went slowly and Jaune was beyond happy when dinner came and he left school grounds for Sam's Bar.

With Pyrrha

Pyrrha walked through the hallways heading back for her dorm room. She thought about the day and all she had seen, Jaune's fight with Emerald stuck out. She'd been impressed by his skill with the bow and his ferocity, though watching his aura she now understood what Ren had meant by it being gone. It never reached full and it took only two hits one being just a bounce off his armor to put it nearly in the red. Even without his aura though Jaune was still a formidable opponent, only a few people had ever beaten Emerald and ever in the way he had done, though she had felt a twinge of jealousy when Jaune had had Emerald in such an interment position.

A hand on her shoulder brought her out of her thoughts, she turned and saw Lucifer standing behind her. "Oh, hey Luke, what's up?"

Lucifer bit the corner of his lower lip and looked like he was trying to find the right words. After a time he finally said, "can I ask you something?"

"Sure." Pyrrha responded.

Lucifer scratched the side of his head as he struggled to get the words out. "Would you go to dinner with me this week end?" He blurted out.

Pyrrha raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"Well I just thought that since I'm not doing anything this weekend I was wondering if we could, I don't know, try again."

Pyrrha sighed, "Luke."

"I know Jaune just got back but it doesn't seen like you or he have any intention on talking so I just thought that." He said his head falling as he realized his mistake.

Pyrrha was about to walk away when she suddenly saw someone at the end of the hallway. It was Jaune. He had changed out of his school uniform and instead wore a whit button down shit and his form cut dress jacket. Pyrrha was about to say something when he suddenly held a finger to his lips. He gestured at Lucifer and winked, then walked away.

She stood for a second then remembered something. 'You found happiness, you just have to take it.' Jaune had said that to her at the edge of the cliff, now here he was reminding her again.

"Luke." Pyrrha said causing Lucifer to look up at her. "I would love to go to dinner with you." She said and the smile that appeared on Lucifer's face brought a warmth to her heart.

Sam's Bar

Jaune entered the bar and saw Sam standing at one corner serving Raven a margarita. Raven wore a pair of black jeans with boots, a tight whit shirt that showed off her midriff and a red jacket. Sam saw Jaune come in and left to go get him a drink.

Raven turned and smiled as he took a seat. "How was school sweetie." She said in a slightly mocking voice.

Jaune just rolled his eye's and thanked Sam when he brought him a glass of vodka. "It was frightfully boring." Jaune said after he took a drink.

"How did your friends react to you coming back, judging from that cut they were less than happy." Raven said pointing at the cut that ran across Jaune's face.

Jaune ran a hand across the cut and smiled. "Well they were less than pleased about my return, but this came from a sparring match with Emerald Sustrai."

Raven raised an eyebrow. "Why didn't you use your aura?"

Jaune just sighed. "I'm not wearing the aura armor and my aura's not stable by it's self."

"Why aren't you wearing the armor?" Raven asked taking a sip from her margarita.

Again Jaune sighed. "I got careless and ended up on the news while in the armor. If I showed up at school wearing the gauntlet and shoulder guard that the guy on T.V wore, people would put two and two together and the word would have gotten out, making it that much easier for them to locate me."

"Fair enough." Raven said finishing the rest of her drink.

Jaune finished his glass as well and waved for a refill. "So what did you get out of this guy who's got some master keycard?"

Raven took a long drink of her new margarita before answering. "It's actually not the card, the card he has is a standard employee card. But he uploaded a code to it that is a board of directors level security clearance."

"Where'd he get that?"

Raven shrugged. "He wasn't willing to spill that, which means that he is more scared of whoever he works for than he is of us."

Jaune raised his eyebrows. "That's unsettling."

"What about you, you get anything good?" Raven asked.

June just shrugged. "I cased that place three times and hacked into their systems twice and I've gotten nothing that's half worth a damn. Roman's in an open block cell, under twenty-four hour surveillance and security, and is sitting behind a half foot thick electro-magnetic steel door." He drained his glass again before continuing. "As far as I can tell there is absolutely no way of getting Roman out without being spotted."

They sat in silence for a time till Sam cam and sat down next to Raven. "So how do you two intend to stop a problem that seems to be incapable of happening?" He asked.

"And how do you intend to run a bar when you sit and drink with the customers." Jaune replied in a snarky voice.

Sam just smirked. "When some customers come in here feel free to tell me."

It was only then that Jaune and Raven realized that the entire bar was empty except for them. Raven then checked the time and saw that it was nearly midnight. "Well I'm gonna head home and get some sleep." Raven said and stood. She kissed Jaune on the cheek and walked out.

Jaune and Sam stared after her for a second till Jaune stood and went to the bar and refiled his glass. Sam stood as well but he just leaned against the table. Jaune turned and saw that Same was giving him a weird look. "What?"

Sam just raised an eyebrow, "A couple weeks ago you came in here and I said that you should tell them the truth. Now you've never been to listen to my advice so I wasn't expecting you to tell them. So it's a little surprising for me to see that not only did you tell them the truth, at least part of it. And what's even more surprising is that you have now returned to school. You care to explain."

Jaune drained his glass twice over before answering. "Salvin found me."

Sam's eyes widened. "How the hell are you still alive then."

"He only wanted to give me a simple threat." Jaune said refilling his glass and draining it again.

"And what simple threat might that be." Sam asked already having a good guess at the answer.

"To either return with him as his heir, or stay to bury my loved ones."

* * *

 **Sorry about this being late, my parents don't understand the concept of a break but hey better late than never. By the way CrazyTrollR49 has had the closest guess on what Blake saw in Jaune's eye. So props to him. Please review and thanks for reading.**


	10. The Past you can't Run From

Chapter 10

Pyrrha walked down the hall to her room in a hurry. She felt excited and nervous at the same, it was odd, she'd never been this excited about a date with Lucifer before and she hadn't felt like this in the morning. But now she was as giddy as a child on their birthday.

Rushing into her room Pyrrha stripped and jumped into the shower, letting the hot water relax her tense body and calm down. Once out of the shower Pyrrha pulled on a strapless white bra and panties then a strapless red dress that went to her lower thigh. After putting on makeup she left the left the room and bumped into Nora and Ren who were walking hand in hand toward the room.

"Oh hey guys." Pyrrha said in a very cherry voice.

Ren and Nora both raised an eyebrow, they had never seen Pyrrha this excited and it was kinda weirding them out. "You off for your date." Ren said.

Pyrrha nodded. "Yep."

"You sure this is the best idea?" Nora asked skeptically.

Pyrrha raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

Ren spoke this time. "I mean, Jaune just came back and though I get that were not on the best of terms with him, don't you think that suddenly going on a date with Lucifer is dishonoring the old Jaune's memory."

"Jaune is actually okay with it." Pyrrha said and walked past them.

"And what makes you say that." Nora called after her.

Pyrrha stopped and looked back at them with a smile on her face. "Because he's the one who convinced me to say yes."

Ren and Nora stood in the hall way speechless until Ruby and Blake stepped out of their dorm and stared after Pyrrha with the same shocked expression on their faces. "We just heard what we think we heard yes?" Ruby asked.

Ren nodded. "Yep."

Ruby and Blake looked at each other then walked down the hallway. "Where are you to going?" Nora asked.

Blake looked back and said. "To get answers."

They walked down the hallway while Nora and Ren just looked at each other then went inside to relax off the head aches that they were both getting.

* * *

Pyrrha met Lucifer outside the school in the courtyard. He looked striking navy blue suit with a black tie and a white shirt. When he saw her approach he smiled and checked his scroll, their reservations were in thirty minutes giving them plenty of time. "You ready?" He asked and Pyrrha nodded.

"Lets go." She said and looped her arm through his. Together they boarded an airship and took off from Beacon. Unbeknownst to them, Jaune sat in his room looking out over the courtyard and watching them.

He had a glass of vodka in his hand and raised it in a toast to them. "Go get her Lucifer." And drained the whole thing.

A nock on the door made Jaune turn around, going up to it he opened it to see Blake and Ruby. "Yo." He said, they didn't respond.

After a pregnant pause Blake finally asked, "Can we come in?"

"Sure." Jaune said and stepped aside letting them come in. He went over to his desk and poured himself another glass.

Blake and Ruby looked around the room and then back at Jaune who'd sat down in a chair and was swirling the liquid in his glass and just staring back at them.

"You drink?" Ruby asked looking at Jaune's glass.

Jaune just chuckled. "A little more than I should." He said and drained his glass. Deciding not to risk getting drunk in front of them Jaune put the glass and the bottle back in his storage case and closed it. "So what do you two want?"

Ruby looked at him and said. "What's going on?"

Jaune raised and eyebrow. "You'll have to be more specific."

Blake spoke now. "We want to know why your back, why you stayed away for so long and why did you tell Pyrrha to go on a date with Lucifer."

Jaune nodded and a small smile formed on his face. "Why the last one?" He asked with just a tinge of snark." Blake and Ruby both blushed causing Jaune laughed at their expressions.

Ruby glared at him. "Just answer the questions."

Jaune's smile disappeared and a hand went and felt something under his shirt, It was then that Blake saw a thin chain around his neck. "Go back to your room." Jaune said in a suddenly firm voice.

"Why are you keeping things from us. I think we deserve to know at least something." Blake said clenching her fists.

"Like I told you all at the cliff. Where I was, where I'm going, and what I'm doing is no concern of yours." Jaune said. He remained in a relaxed pose but the look in his eyes told them that he was not messing around.

Ruby now stepped forward. "What on earth happened to you that makes you keep these secrets."

Jaune looked down at the ground and pinched the bridge of his nose with his thumb and index finger. "I don't want to talk about what happened and you don't need to know."

"Why!" Both Ruby and Blake shouted at the same time.

Jaune surged to his feet so he towered over them. "Because it was three years. Where nothing GOOD HAPPENED!" He roared at them, it might have been their imagination, but it look like his red eye was glowing. They shrank before his gaze and tears appeared in Ruby's eyes. Jaune took a step back and went to the window. "Go back to your room." He said and the both took off, Blake with an arm around Ruby in an attempt to comfort her.

When they were outside the room Ruby shot off back to her room. Blake looked back into the room and could see through the crack Jaune taking his shirt off in the bathroom. Blake sucked in her breath when she saw Jaune's upper body, it was hardened with muscle from years of exertion, but what really caught her attention was the fact that his body was ruined. Entire chunks of skin were missing and were held up with metal mesh. Scars and stitch marks were everywhere and massive burn marks took up entire parts of his shoulder and waist. Blake put a hand to her mouth to muffle her gasp but then something caught her attention. Something around his neck that glinted in the light. It was hard to see clearly but it looked almost like a ring.

Blake took off down the hallway back to her room. When she stepped in she saw Yang hugging Ruby as she cried. Weiss looked up and saw Blake's expression and asked. "What's up with you, you look like you've seen a ghost." Blake just shook her head unable to find words.

* * *

Outside Fancy Restaurant in Vale

Pyrrha and Lucifer left the restaurant where they had eaten dinner. They were walking arm in arm and laughing, the had taken their time with their dinner and were now leaving five hours later happy as could be. "I had a lot of fun." Pyrrha said smiling.

Lucifer smiled. "Ya this was nice." They walked in silence for a time with Pyrrha leaning her head on Lucifer's shoulder. They were in no hurry and took a long route. Saying nothing, merely enjoying the others company, the stars were out the light of the moon illuminated the streets, there was not a sound to be heard and when they walked by the docks the light off the water brought a tranquility that was unmatched.

Walking down to the pier's edge Pyrrha and Lucifer stood and stared out at the sea, "Remember the last time we stood at this pier." Lucifer asked wrapping an arm around Pyrrha's waist.

Pyrrha let out a little laugh. "It would be hard to forget. You pulled me out here after a dance and asked if I would go out with you."

Lucifer looked at her and raised an eyebrow. "You and I remember that even very differently," He said and returned his gaze back over the water.

"Well it wasn't so much asked as stuttered and stammered until I was able to figure out what you were trying to say." Pyrrha said. They both chuckled at this remembering Lucifer, the usually calm and stoic strategic huntsman having difficulty to get just one word out.

"I've gotten better at talking to women though." Lucifer said.

A giggle escaped Pyrrha's lips, and she turned and looked at him, "Yes you have." They kissed then. It was a slow kiss, but both could have stayed there forever.

"How romantic." A voice said sarcastically behind them. They turned to see two men standing on the pier. One was a tall and thin with brown hair tied in a pony tail and the other was an enormous man with red hair who stood a solid head taller than the other man. The thin man looked at Pyrrha and Lucifer and laughed. "You must be Pyrrha." He said gesturing.

Pyrrha and Lucifer separated a glared at the two men. "What's it to you?" Pyrrha said.

The thin man laughed. "God how Salverares fall for someone like you."

Lucifer stepped forward now pulling out a tonfa from under his jacket. "What are you talking about, who the hell is Salverares?"

The thin man snapped his fingers. "Right you guys know him by another name, umm." He thought for a second, turning to the big man he asked. "What was his other name again?"

"Jaune. Jaune Arc." The big man said.

"Right Jaune Arc." The thin man said.

Pyrrha and Lucifer both went wide eyed. "What does Jaune have to do with anything?" Pyrrha asked.

The thin man smirked. "I see you know almost nothing about Jaune, speaking of which, where is he?"

Pyrrha clenched her fists. "I don't know, probably back at Beacon."

The thin man sighed. "Well that's beyond our reach. Soooo." The man pulled out two guns, each one was over a foot long and had the clips that you would see in assault rifles. The man aimed the guns at Pyrrha. "Were gonna need you to come with us Miss Nikos."

"Why the hell would she do that." Lucifer said taking another step forward.

"Well you see, if every thing we know about Jaune before he joined us is true, then he will come for Pyrrha wherever she is." The thin man said and aimed one of his guns at Lucifer.

Pyrrha glared at him, "I'm not going anywhere with you."

The thin man smirked. "That's not an option." He said and fired both guns. Pyrrha dodged the shots and Lucifer spun his tonfa blocking them. He surged forward and swung but the man vanished and Lucifer hit only air. Turning to the big man he swung at his head but the big man blocked it with one arm and threw him through the air.

Lucifer landed and struggled to his feet. He saw Pyrrha take a step forward then go ridged, she reached behind her and pulled a dart out of her neck and then collapsed.

"Pyrrha!" Lucifer screamed and ran to her. Then the thin man appeared directly in front of him. Lucifer felt the barrel of a gun on his stomach, then staggered as the man fired over and over again. Lucifer's aura protected him but he fell back under the barrage of shots. A hand on his shoulder stopped him and he turned to see the big man holding him with one arm raised back in a fist. He brought it down and it smashed into Lucifer's temple with the force of a speeding car.

Lucifer crashed to the floor, barely conscious, his vision was blurring but he could see three figures standing around Pyrrha's unconscious form. Two were the men that had attacked them, the third was a short blonde haired woman, his blurry vision made it difficult to see her face but it was clear that she was far younger, probably his age. She was probably the one who hit Pyrrha with the dart.

The blonde haired woman looked up and walked over to Lucifer. "Honestly Ray, did you have to hit so hard, you'll ruin that cute face." She said running a finger along his jaw.

The thin man sighed. "Lara, has there ever been a guy you didn't think was cute?"

The blonde clicked her tongue. "I never said Jaune was cute."

"That's because you were to busy drooling and resisting the urge to rip your clothes off to say that." The thin man responded.

"Don't say that you make me sound shameless, and I only ripped my clothes off once." Lara said.

The thin man just scoffed. "Slut."

Lara smirked then turned back to Lucifer and lifted his chin so he looked into her eyes. "Now as for you sweetie." She pulled a knife from her jacket and held it under his chin, after a second she removed it. "I need you to give this to Jaune, oh and if your concerned about Nikos, don't be. I won't kill her, not yet." She said then dropped Lucifer's head and threw the dagger into the floor next to him and walked down the pier. The big man, Ray, picked up Pyrrha and threw her over his shoulder. Lara snapped her fingers and opened a portal and the three of them stepped through.

It was only through sheer force of will that Lucifer got up. He picked up the dagger and staggered back to Beacon. When he got his feet under him he found himself running through the halls till he burst into team RWBY's dorm.

They all jump when Lucifer barged in panting heavily. "Lucifer!" Ruby said in surprise.

"Where... Where's Jaune." Lucifer said gasping out every word.

"In his room." Blake said.

"What number?" Lucifer said, nearly shouting now.

"636."

Lucifer took off down the hall way. Both team RWBY and Nora and Ren followed him. He raced through the halls as fast as he could run, when he reached Jaune's room he crashed through the door. Jaune stood was wearing a long nightshirt and pajama bottoms, he was sitting on the edge of the bed when Lucifer came in and stood up in confusion.

"You son of a bitch." Lucifer snarled and threw a punch at Jaune. Jaune swayed a little and dodged the blow. Lucifer stumbled past him and caught himself on the nightstand. "This is all you fault!" He yelled and rushed Jaune again.

Jaune blocked his flurry of punches the grabbed him by the collar and threw him to the ground. "You'll have to be more specific, there are many things that I'm responsible for." Jaune said. Lucifer stood and hurled the dagger that Lara had given him at Jaune. Jaune caught it and looked at it, his gaze hardened into a glare. "Where did you get this?"

"Some blonde woman and her friends. They took Pyrrha, and they said to give this to you." Lucifer said trembling in rage.

"Her friends, what'd they look like?" Jaune asked, his voice remaining surprisingly calm.

"Why does it matter."

"What. Did. They. Look like. Answer the question." Jaune said interrupting Lucifer.

Lucifer shrugged. "I don't know, one was skinny with brown hair in a pony tail and used guns. The other was huge with red hair." Jaune went to his case, pulled his aura armor out and turned and walked toward the door.

"Stay here and don't leave the school until I get back." Jaune said.

Lucifer followed and grabbed Jaune's shoulder. "Hey what are you." Jaune twisted and grabbed Lucifer's arm and twisted it. Lucifer doubled over and Jaune leaned in close and whispered in his ear.

"Your gonna stay here and not leave until I say so, I'll be back with Pyrrah in a few hours." Jaune said and left the room, leaving them standing there, looking after him.

* * *

Jaune stood at the edge of the pier, he had followed the trail that Lucifer's aura had left and now stood starring out over the water. He could sense four familiar auras a few miles of shore and a small smile formed on his lips. "I told you once." He said to no one and curling his right hand into a fist, he slammed it into his aura armor shoulder guard and in a flash the armor formed around him. "That you will have to kill me before I let you touch them." With that he shot off in the direction of the auras. "Pyrrha, I'm coming."

* * *

 **Ten chapters, it's all thanks to you guys. Thank you for all your support and I hope you enjoy. Please review and thanks for reading.**


	11. Eternal Memories

Eternal Memories

Lara paced the deck of the rig as she stared up at the sky. "Uhhhh, where is he?" She said exasperated. They had been on the rig for over and hour and her little patience was starting to where thin.

James chuckled as he put cigarette in his mouth and lit it. "This was your plan, your gonna need some patience. Given how hard Ray hit that guy Nikos was with he probably hasn't even told Jaune yet, hell, he's probably still unconscious."

Lara stopped pacing and glared at him. "Well no one asked you." She said petulantly.

James just rolled his eyes and glanced over at Pyrrha's unconscious form, she hadn't even twitched since Lara had hit her with that dart and he was beginning to wonder if she was even alive still. "How long is that dart gonna last?" He asked just to try and calm Lara before she started throwing things.

"With the concentrated dose I gave her probably another thirteen or fourteen hours." Lara said glancing over at Pyrrha, she honestly didn't see what made this girl so special that Jaune would fall for her. She had heard her reputation but so far had seen nothing that gave her any reason to believe it.

Ray saw the scowl that was forming on Lara's face and said. "You still doubt her don't you, even after everything that Jaune and Lady Shira have told you."

Lara's scowl deepened. "I just don't see what makes her so special, her or that Rose girl, they're just huntresses in training and I've seen nothing that make's them stand out. I mean Nikos went down like a bitch and her boyfriend wasn't any good either."

Ray ran a whetstone down his sword a few more times before answering. "We caught those two in the middle of a date, the fact that the boy was armed at all is impressive. Also you stabbed Pyrrha in the back while James had her attention, I'd like to see you face her in a head to head fight." Lara tried to utter a retort but Ray looked up and glared her into silence. "Besides, it wasn't her combat skill that captured Jaune's heart."

James looked over now. "How the hell would you know that?"

Ray shrugged, his gigantic shoulders rising and falling in a motion that made his entire coat ripple. "He told me."

"What was it then?" Lara asked glancing between Pyrrha and Ray.

A sly grin stretched across Ray's face. "You can ask him when he gets here. Though knowing Jaune he won't tell you anything, he's not one to give up his secrets easily. The only one I've ever known to get him to open up entirely is Lady Shira." Ray hefted his sword and examined the edge, satisfied with it's sharpness he leaned it against a crate next to him.

James lit another cigarette and leaned back looking at the sky shattered moon. "She's gonna kill him when he comes back."

Lara laughed. "No Lord Salvin is gonna kill him, Lady Shira will be to busy holding him to try and kill him." They all laughed at the mental image then went quiet when a powerful aura entered their senses. Lara smiled, Ray hardened his gaze, and James picked up a sniper off the crate next to him and went to the top of the of the control tower and took a position.

It wasn't before the sound of a fast moving object and a glimmer could be seen over the water. Jaune landed on the deck not even ten seconds later in full aura armor, he pulled his helmet off and looked at the Lara and Ray, his gaze then traveled up to where James was perched.

Ray pushed himself off the box he was sitting on and looked at Jaune with a flat gaze. "It's been a long time Jaune, how are you?"

Jaune let a small smile spread across his face. "I'm alright Ray. It's good to see you again, though I wish it was under better circumstances."

Ray sighed, "yes I wish it was as well. Am I correct in assuming that your here for the Nikos." He said walking over and picking up Pyrrha's unconscious form.

"You knew that the second you decided to take her." Jaune said taking a step forward.

Lara stepped forward now. "And you know what it's gonna take to get her back and guarantee her's and your other friends safety."

Jaune's red eye zeroed in on her making her flinch. "I'm not going back, but I will be taking Pyrrha back to her team." He said clenching his right hand.

"That's not an option." Ray said. "Lady Shira gave us this mission, and we have no intention on returning empty handed." He leaned Pyrrha back against a box walked back over to where left his sword and hefted it. It was a massive weapon, well over six feet long, a red single edge blade that was half a foot wide, and three grooves running up it with a different type of dust in each one.

Jaune gazed at him for a second then looked at James and Lara. "You three are determined to go through with this?" He asked. Lara's only response was to draw two long curved daggers. Jaune sighed and summoned his longsword. "Very well."

They charged each other, James only got a single shot off before Jaune met Ray and Lara in a flurry off steel. Lara and Ray were vastly different fighters, Lara was fast, vicious, and had a sadistic nature to her when she fought. Ray on the other hand was far slower but was so strong that his blows would shake the the rig. To anyone on the outside it would have looked like a furious battle in which the combatants were dancing between life and death and one mistake meant the end. To Jaune, Lara, and Ray, it was a routine, how many times had they done this fight, a thousand, a hundred thousand, maybe a million.

Jaune's vision was beginning to blur and he began to see another place, a huge room with glowing lights, magnificent tapestries and stained glass windows. The floor a glorious white marble stained red by the blood of those who fought in it. This room was been the holder of Jaune's happiest and saddest memories. It was where he had lost a brother, been made a heir to veritable kingdom, and had experienced the happiest moment of his life.

The sudden rush of memories distracted him and Ray slashed him across the chest. His armor protected him but even so Jaune felt three of his ribs crack and flew across the deck of the rig, James shot him three times as he sailed threw the air. Jaune crashed to the deck and blood spewed from his mouth.

Jaune rolled onto his stomach and pushed him self up slowly. Getting his feet under him he staggered before finding his balance. Looking up he saw Lara hurl three daggers at him, he blocked two while the third cut his temple. "Enough Jaune, you can't win this." Ray said stabbing his sword into the ground.

Lara lowered his knives as well. "Come on Jaune, is all this worth it?"

Jaune raised his sword and spat out a glob of blood. "I've died for them once, another time won't be that bad."

Ray sighed, "fine." Jaune staggered as James shot him over and over again, Lara removed four long knives, charged them with her aura and hurled them, they punched through Jaune's armor and stuck out his back, then Ray sent a massive amount of aura into his sword and unleashed a blast of energy that consumed Jaune.

Lara bit her bottom lip. "Do you think that killed him?" She asked. "Our orders were to bring him back alive."

Ray said nothing for a few seconds. "I don't know. I've seen him survive things that wold kill nearly anyone, but even so that many shots hits..." He trailed off the looked back up at James. "You see anything?" He called up.

James peered through his scope but couldn't see anything through all the dust and debris. "Nothing, I can't see any..."

He was cut off when a sudden blast of aura that blew the dust away and revealed Jaune standing in the in the center of a part of the deck that was warped and twisted. Lara's knives still stuck into him, blood stained the front of his armor and poured from his mouth and temple, around him blasted a black aura that was tinged with gold. His eyes were no longer their original color, they were now pure gold, despite their brilliance however there was nothing but malice in them.

Lara staggered back and James nearly dropped his gun in shock, only Ray kept his cool, he had seen this before, only once and when it had happened, someone had died. Jaune's voice rang out, it was deeper and more menacing than it had been. "I'm very glad Pyrrha's unconscious." He said taking a step forward. "Because I wouldn't want her to see this." The last words came more as a snarl than a statement. Jaune then dashed forward faster than the eye could see, the next thing Lara knew, Jaune was in front of her then there was a intense pain in her shoulder, she fell to the deck followed shortly by her left arm. James fumbled with his rifle trying to get it into position, but Jaune suddenly was vaulting over the railing, the left side of his face was coated in Lara's blood and a savage grin crossing it. James tried desperately to get his gun up but Jaune's sword sliced through his gun and then his chest.

Jaune leapt back down to the deck and charged Ray whose blade rippled with energy and he swung down. Jaune swung his own sword and they met in the middle. A blast of energy raced out making the water surge out then come back and crash over the sides. Jaune pushed against Ray with savage power, Ray pushed back with everything he had. "Jaune, you need to calm down, this is what happened two years ago, remember what happened then. You killed him, you killed Valin, your own brother."

Jaune's eye's lost their gold, they turned black and his aura lost the gold as well. Ray realized his mistake, Jaune's anger over what had happened far outweighed his grief. Jaune pushed Ray's sword up and grabbed him by the throat, he held Ray there for a second then stabbed him through gut. Rat sunk down to all four and put a hand over his wound.

The black aura faded from Jaune and he collapsed to his knees. Blood started to drip from his red eye as he stared at the stars. "I forgot how terrible that feels." He said.

Ray glance at him. "I thought Lord Salvin taught you how to control you how to control it?"

Jaune shook his head and wiped some of the blood from his face. "He taught me how not to activate it, if I had the armor in full affect.." He shook his head again and pushed himself to his feet. "There'd be nothing left of this rig except a few floating bits of metal." Walking over to Pyrrha he picked up her up bridal style and walked to the rig's edge.

"Jaune wait." Ray called. Jaune peered at him from out of his red eye. "I told you that the one who sent us was Lady Shira, despite all that has happened she still loves you. But I must know, do you still love her?"

Ray couldn't see see it, as Jaune's right eye could no longer produce tears, but from his left eye, a few stray tears fell. It was sometime before he responded and when he did, it was short. "With all of my heart." He said, then took off from the rig and flew toward Vale. Ray stared after him, wishing that things had been different, and that Jaune wouldn't have to be his enemy.

* * *

Jaune flew at a measured pace, keeping Pyrrha close to his body, letting her feed off his aura so she could burn through the knock out toxin faster. When he reached Beacon he landed and let his armor disperse. Walking through the hall he headed toward the medical wing. The doctors opened the door and stared at him in horror, for good reason, his face was covered in blood and he had four stab wounds that were visible through his back gear. "This girl needs a bed." He said and the doctors gestured toward any of the empty ones. Jaune walked over and lay Pyrrha down on one. And sent a message to team RWBY a team PNR saying that he was back with Pyrrha.

One of the doctors coughed and Jaune turned to see three of them with curious looks on their faces. "The girl aside, I think you should sit down and let us examine you."

Jaune looked down at himself then shook his head. "No I'm fine."

Another doctor stepped forward. "You man, I insist."

Jaune held up a hand stopping him. "So do I, I'm fine, just let Pyrrha sleep here for the night and watch her."

They all turned as Lucifer literally crashed through the door, followed by teams RWBY and PNR. Without even giving Jaune a second look Lucifer rushed to Pyrrha's side. The rest glance at Pyrrha then looked at Jaune wide eyed. "Oh my God, Jaune!" Ruby yelled and ran up to him. She reached out toward one of his injuries.

Jaune caught her hand stopping her. "I'm fine." He said and walked past her out the door.

"Jaune." Lucifer called from Pyrrha's bed side. "Is Pyrrha gonna be alright?" He asked looking at Pyrrha who still hadn't moved.

"She'l be fine, her body just needs to burn through the toxin that knocked her out, she'll be up and about by morning." Jaune replied then left closing the door behind him.

Jaune wandered through the halls till he reached Ozpin's office. He knocked twice and waited a but. "Come in." A Ozipin said from inside. Jaune entered to see Ozpin sitting at his desk drinking coffee and reading some message. He looked up when he saw Jaune enter. "Jaune, what are you doing here at this time of night ?"

"I need the tracker codes for teams RWBY and PNR." Jaune said.

Ozpin raised an eyebrow. "That's a big request Mr. Arc. Why do want them?" He asked.

Jaune sighed exasperated. "One of your students was kidnapped tonight, the only reason that I got her back was because her kidnappers decided to let her live so I can find them. Next time they might not be merciful, and I can't be racing after them hours after they show up." The last words were bordering on a shout, all the same Ozpin kept his cool. "Also this raises the question of why didn't you send someone. You seem to know every thing why didn't you act?"

"Because I still had faith in you." His words surprised Jaune. Ozpin stood from his desk and stared at Jaune intensely. "Jaune I don't trust you, at all."

"Not surprising." Jaune said shrugging his shoulders.

Ozpin finished his coffee and set the mug down. "All the same, in spite of what you've done, what that armor has done to you, what Salvin had done to you. I had faith that you still cared about your old team and team RWBY, and had I sent someone else, I would more likely than not be attending a funeral. So I won't give you the codes, but I will give you these." He pulled out what looked like a coin case and handed it to Jaune. Inside there were twelve small chips each the size of a dime. "Those chips can be place on a person and you'll instantly know where they are. Put them on whoever you think needs them."

Jaune raised an eyebrow. "How is this any different from the tracker codes?"

"Every time you activate the program that tracks the chips I'll know." Ozpin replied.

Jaune nodded in understanding, then pocketed the case. "Thanks." He said then turned to leave.

"Jaune, one last question." Ozpin said making Jaune stop and turn. "You knew coming back would making your friends a target, so why did you come back at all?"

A sigh escaped Jaune's lips. "If I had stayed with Salvin, then I would have had to kill them myself if I was to succeed him. And as tempted as I was I will not kill them just so that I can have power."

* * *

 **Hey guys sorry about the wait, things have been pretty stressful and I had trouble finding the energy to write, I'll try to start getting them out a little quicker. Anyway please review and thanks for reading**


	12. Beginning of Truth

Beginning of Truth

The wear house rang with the sound of metal clashing, it was on the abandoned east end of the docs, so there was no one around to see or hear the two people inside. Inside Jaune and Raven clashed, each held two, three foot metal rods that they hammered against each other with. Jaune wore only a pair of grey sweats, leaving his chest exposed. Raven wore a pair of black sweats and a training bra.

Jaune winced as a salty breeze stung the exposed muscle under the metal that held it up. Raven took the opportunity to give him a jab to the ribs then smack him in the jaw. Jaune doubled over put a hand to his jaw rubbing the already forming bruise.

"You wanna call that my win?" Raven asked and gave her rods a quick spin.

Jaune chuckled and shook his head. "Not bloody likely." He said grinning at Raven.

Raven rolled her eyes. "Suit yourself." She said and took a step forward, bringing her rods up and swinging them down. Jaune stopped the swing at her wrist and flipped her over his shoulder. She hit the ground with an audible thud and a gasp of air. She looked up to see Jaune kneeling over her with one of his rods at her throat.

"Lets call that my win." He said flashing a smile.

Raven shrugged. "Fine." She said exasperated.

Jaune stood and helped Raven to her feet. She walked over to where she had placed her cloths and pulled on a red T-shirt. Jaune picked up her rods and threw them it a bag and pulled out a towel. Raven looked over at him and ran her gaze along his ruined torso. She had seen the scars after their night together and after Jaune had gotten his senses back he had nearly lost it. It took Raven nearly an hour for her to talk Jaune into telling her how he had gotten them. It then took another hour for Jaune to tell her how he got each one and by the time he was done Raven went over and hugged him instinctively.

Jaune put the towel back in the bag and stared out over the water, thinking of what had transpired. It had been a week since Pyrrha had been abducted and since then there had been no attacks, but even so Jaune was constantly on edge. Raven had suggested they meet up and have this little, as she called it, 'stress reliever session'.

"Your still worrying." Raven said causing Jaune to turn.

"I can't help it, I came back to protect them, and now it seems I can barely rescue them." Jaune said pulling on a white undershirt and changing his sweats for a pair of black dress pants and shoes.

Raven walked up to him and put a hand on his shoulder. "At least you can protect them when it counts. Isn't that all that matters."

Jaune smiled patted her hand. "Thanks Raven,"

"You want a piece of advice?" Raven asked.

A skeptical look appeared on Jaune's face. "What advice might that be?"

"Try opening up to them, even if it's just a little bit, explain things a bit and try to rebuild with them." Raven said tracing one of his scars.

Jaune sighed and gently grabbed her hand, stopping it. "That's easier said than done."

Raven just put her forehead against his. "You were able to explain to me, and we barely knew each other, I think you should be able to those who were your closest friends."

The smallest of smiles appeared on Jaune's face. "Damn it Raven you will never fail to a small bit of sense into me." He said in a soft voice.

A wide grin broke out across Raven's face and she hopped back and picked up her stuff. "Okay then, I'm going shopping, I saw this pair of boots while on the way here that I just have to have." She said and half walked, half skipped out of the wear house.

Jaune just stared after her with a confused look on his face. "Women." After pulling on a white dress shirt he left the wear house and wondered the streets of Vale, enjoying the atmosphere. It was the weekend and the streets were filled with chatter of hundreds of people. He rounded the corned to see the one of the oddest sights he had ever seen. It was a dress store, and it was packed. Possibly a hundred to a hundred and fifty girls were in it. They all looked like students from Beacon, Atlas, Haven, and Vacuo. "What the hell." Jaune said then saw a familiar figure standing by the door, it was Ren, with a very exasperated look on his face.

For a second Jaune considered just slipping past him but the advice that Raven had given him stuck in his head. Keeping it in mind Jaune walked over to where Ren stood. "Shopping spree?" He asked in a sarcastic tone.

Ren looked up at him in surprise. "Jaune. What are you doing here?"

Jaune shrugged. "I was just meeting up with friend," Ren raised an eyebrow at that. "Yes Ren I do still have those." Jaune said. "What are you doing outside a dress store?" He asked raising an eyebrow of his own.

"With the dance coming up the girls decided that it would be a good idea to get their dresses early." Ren said glancing into the shop.

"Seems like every other girl had that idea. Wait. What dance?" Jaune said looking at Ren in confusion.

A small smirk appeared on Ren's face. "The big dance for the fourth years that's happening in two weeks." Jaune blinked. "They told us about it yesterday."

Jaune raised an eyebrow. "Ren I may have changed, but I still don't pay attention in class."

Ren chuckled a little. Then Jaune saw something in his eyes, he glanced across the street and saw a diner that Ren kept glancing at. "You haven't eaten have you?"

Ren shook his head. "They pulled me out of bed early and we've been all over town."

Jaune smirked and gave him a slap on the shoulder. "Come on. I haven't had breakfast either."

"What?" Ren asked confused.

"Breakfast, let's go get some." Jaune explained, talking slowly and gesturing toward the diner.

After a bit of prodding Ren's hunger won out and a few minutes later he and Jaune were sitting in a booth across from each other eating breakfast. Jaune had waffles and a double-bacon omelet, while Ren had a stack of pancakes and sausages. Jaune made small talk throughout the meal, Ren talked back but in his head he was trying furiously to figure Jaune out. His behavior was so different from what it had been since he came back, he was acting almost like his old self, and it worried Ren.

Finally after another pointless discussion Ren blurted out. "What are you doing Jaune?" It came out a little louder than he intended and Jaune raised an eye brow at his sudden outburst.

"What are talking about?" Jaune asked talking another bite of waffle.

Ren waved his fork around a little. "I mean this, the return, Pyrrha's abduction, now your treating me to breakfast when a few weeks ago I tried to kill you. What the hell is going on?" He had to fight to keep himself from shouting.

Jaune took a drink of coffee before responding. "Ren, out of curiosity, who exactly do you think is after us?"

Ren was taken aback by the question. "Well, based on new information. I'd say they're some, organization, that took you in, trained you, gave you that armor, you then left and now they want you back."

Jaune nodded. "Your essentially spot on. What you aren't fully aware of is how dangerous these people."

"How dangerous?" Ren said lacing his fingers together.

"The leader could kill everyone in Beacon, including the teachers, in less than an hour."

Ren kept his face blank but Jaune saw just a hint of fear in his eye's. "Could you beat him?"

Jaune let out a humorless snort. "I can say without bragging that there are only about eight people in this world that have a chance at beating me, but that man, I could face him everyday for a thousand years, and he'd tear me apart each time."

"I've seen you create a tidal wave with one punch and freeze a grimm the size of an island in it, I have some doubt that anyone can outclass you that much. Even if it-"

The door to the diner swung in and all of team RWBY plus Pyrrha and Nora burst in. "Ren there you are, we've been looking everywhere...for...you." Nora's last words came slow as Jaune turned around and looked at her.

The diner became tense as a bow string as the seven teens stared at Jaune. After a pause in which one of the waitress hid beneath a table, Jaune stood pulled fifty lien from his pocket and put it on the table, picked up his bag and turned to leave, before he did he said to Ren. "If you want to know more, ask Ozpin about a man named Salvin." Without another word Jaune left the diner, leaving Ren to deal with the avalanche of questions that his team had for him.

* * *

Beacon

Jaune sat on the edge of Beacon's fountain watching the sun start to touch the hills. Looking down at his scroll he opened the tracking program just to make sure where everyone was. Teams RWBY and PNR were in their respective dorms, probably winding down from a long day of flying around town trying to find dresses. 'poor Ren, boy must be dead to the world.'

The sound of his scroll ringing pulled Jaune out of his thoughts. He checked it to see a message from Raven, " **Hey, I think I know where Neo is holding up.** "

Jaune smiled at the news. " **Where?"**

" **Six-three-seven Scarlet Street. It's a pretty big house that belonged to a elderly man who ran the dock management till he retired around five years ago."**

Jaune frowned. " **What makes you think that Neo's there?"**

" **Surveillance cam caught her going in about two weeks ago and never going out, plus the old man hasn't been seen since."**

" **Ah, when do we engage?"**

" **Your not coming."**

Her answer bewildered Jaune. " **Why?"**

Raven took her time in responding. " **The White Fang is suspicious of you, from what I gather from a White Fang agent they've got you under pretty intense surveillance, let me take Neo."**

Jaune's right hand tightened into a fist and for a moment he considered protesting, but what she said made sense, after a moment he sighed and replied. " **Fair enough, but be careful."** Before he sent the message he looked up and saw something that caught his interest, a woman with black hair and amber eyes, walking across the courtyard with an elegant grace.

Two thoughts passed threw Jaune's head at that point, one was the desire for information, and the other was the thought of the dance. " **Hey I may have just found a source of intel, I'll tell you if it leads anywhere."** He added to the message then sent it. Standing he walked across the courtyard and approached the woman.

* * *

Team LNCR dorm

Ricard watched nervously as Lucifer strapped on his armor. "I still don't think this is a good idea." He said while Lucifer put on his gauntlets.

Lucifer sighed. "You've said that three times now and I'm still not changing my mind."

"Dude I get that you don't like the guy and you trust him even less but your the only one who's gonna get hurt by this." Ricard said standing up from his bed.

"Don't underestimate me." Lucifer said grabbing his tonfas and giving them a spin.

Ricard grabbed his shoulder and turned them so they were face to face. "We've been friends since day one of combat school, I know your abilities better than anyone, but Jaune. Whatever he was before his supposed death, he is not that anymore. You saw what he did to Nick." Nick had been put against Jaune two days ago in a sparring match. Jaune had broken two of his ribs, his right leg, and his left arm.

"I know." Lucifer replied and attached his tonfa to his legs.

Ricard threw his hands up in exaggeration. "And you still want to do this. Hell ignoring what he did to Nick, think about what he did to team RWBY and PNR. I can't even beat Yang, you can barely beat Ruby sometimes, and neither of us can beat Pyrrha. He beat all three of them at the same time along with four others, and he did it solo. You fight him solo and he'll rip you to pieces."

Lucifer looked Ricard square in the eye with all the conviction he had. "I have to do this. It's the only way I can think of to keep her safe."

As much as Ricard hated it, he couldn't deny Lucifer's determination. "I think you need Jaune if you want to accomplish that."

"It's because of him that they went after her in the first place." Lucifer said clenching his right hand.

"And he was the one who got her back." Ricard retorted.

Lucifer glared at him for second before saying. "I have to do this. If he's gone, then Pyrrha will stop being a target."

With that he left the dorm leaving Ricard grinding his teeth in frustration.

Jaune strode through the door to the arena where he saw Lucifer standing in the center with murder in his eyes. Less than twenty minutes ago Lucifer had sent Jaune a message to meet him in the arena and to bring his aura armor. He had an idea on what was going to happen and sighed at the thought, he had enough to deal with without Lucifer getting hostile. 'Damn it all' He thought as he came level with Lucifer.

They stood in silence for a time, Jaune looking bored and Lucifer looking ready to break something. Finally Jaune said. "Well?" Lucifer's hand tightened into a fist but he said nothing. Jaune sighed, "look Lucifer if you have questions than just ask them, but don't waste my time."

Lucifer glared at him for a time before replying. "Well I'm not sure where to start, Salverares. That is your name?"

"One of a few." Jaune replied shrugging.

"And why do they call you that?" Lucifer continued.

Jaune started to pace back and forth a little. "Because the man who gave it to me did so after he took me in."

Lucifer snorted. "What is Jaune to simple for him."

"No, he didn't know my name was Jaune until a year later." Jaune said continuing to pace.

Out of pure curiosity Lucifer asked. "Why, didn't you tell him."

Jaune stopped pacing and looked at him with a gaze so intense he nearly looked away. "I didn't tell him because I didn't know it was my name either."

Lucifer's eye's widened. "How could you not know?" He asked incredulously.

"Because like my aura, I lost my memories after the fall." Jaune said in a monotone voice.

Silence took control of the room for a while till Jaune broke it. "But you don't want to hear about that. Come on Lucifer, ask it."

"Why did you come back?" Lucifer asked.

"To save Pyrrha and the others." Jaune replied.

Lucifer jabbed an accusing finger at him. "Don't you DARE say that!" He yell, fury evident in his voice. "You have brought nothing but pain and suffering since you got back and now you've made Pyrrha a target."

"Pyrrha was a target before I came back to Beacon." Jaune said, his voice had turned to a emotionless, uncaring tone.

"What?"

Jaune sighed, "Pyrrha, along with the rest of her team as well as team RWBY have been targets for nearly six months now."

Lucifer shook his head trying to wrap his head around all this. "But then, why haven't there been any attacks until now?"

"Because the assassin that was supposed to kill them changed." Jaune said his gaze boring into Lucifer like spear.

Though Lucifer had an idea about the answer to his question and he dreaded about his suspicion being true he asked anyway just to be sure. "Who was the first assassin."

Jaune's response was slow coming, but when it did Lucifer wished he had never heard it. "Me."

* * *

 **Ya kind of a boring chapter but I figured some explanation was needed as I have a metric ton of back story and I've basically told you none of it. Oh and by the way, in the coming chapters pairings will start to become more relevant, and I haven't set in stone on who Jaune will be with, so leave in the comments on who you want him to be with, because I'm bad at this stuff and can't decide. So anyway, hope you enjoyed, please review, and thanks for reading.**


	13. The Truth Revealed

The Truth Revealed

Jaune stepped to the side as Lucifer leapt forward and swung a tonfa at him. After he had said that he was the assassin that was supposed to kill Pyrrha, Lucifer had wasted no time in drawing his tonfa and launching himself at Jaune, rage burning in his eyes. After dodging a few more strikes he stepped away and held up a hand. "Lucifer let me explain."

Lucifer shook his head and slashed a tonfa threw the air. "Why so you can try and justify your actions, I can't believe you would even try if I did?" He charged again and unleashed a flurry of blows on Jaune who dodged and blocked each one and responded with a punch in the face followed by a roundhouse to the side of Lucifer's head.

Lucifer stumbled before recovering and whirling to face Jaune again, the desire to kill evident in his gaze. Jaune just sighed. "Give it up Lucifer, even with your semblance you still don't have a chance in hell."

"Don't be so cocky!" Lucifer yelled and connected the two tonfa together, the handles folded into the shaft and the whole thing extended into a six foot long staff. Charging Lucifer stabbed at Jaune's head who simply swayed to the side and snap kicked him in the stomach, followed by a swift blade hand jab to the throat. Lucifer gasped and dropped his staff and brought a hand to his throat, his vision blurred and he couldn't get any air to his lungs. His disorientation made it impossible for him to reacted when Jaune kicked his feet out from under him. Lucifer landed on his back and grunted as the back of his head hit the floor.

A pricking sensation made Lucifer tense up as his vision and breath began to return. Looking up he saw Jaune standing over him with a longsword pressed against his neck. "What now, you gonna kill me like you were going to kill Pyrrha?"

Jaune shook his head, "if you were anyone else, I'd kill you here and now," He then surprised Lucifer by removing his sword and letting it disappear. "But you mean to much to Pyrrha, and I have enough deaths lingering around me, and I will add many more to their ranks before this is over, so don't tempt me to add you to their numbers." Jaune's left hand seemed to spasm a little, it wasn't much, but Lucifer noticed and his brow narrowed. Jaune looked at his angry and suspicious expression and sighed. "Damn it Lucifer I'm not your enemy. I may not be your friend, but if nothing else in this I am your ally and I am your only chance at protecting Pyrrha and the others."

Lucifer was about to utter a retort when he stopped. "What do you mean by others?" He asked after a pause.

Jaune turned and walked a little away from Lucifer and ran a hand through his hair. "Pyrrha wasn't my only target."

"Then the others are..." Lucifer began.

"Pyrrha Nikos, Lie Ren, Nora Valkyrie, Ruby Rose, Yang Xiao Long, Blake Belladonna, and Weiss Schnee. I came back to Vale with the sole intention on finding those seven people, and ending them."

Lucifer staggered to his feet and picked up his staff. "Why, why would you ever want to kill them?"

Jaune gave an indignant shrug. "It doesn't matter now."

An audible growl came from Lucifer and he surged forward and swung his staff down with all the strength he had. Jaune caught the swing with his right hand and held it in place. Lucifer glared at Jaune and said. "Give me an answer Jaune."

"Trust me Lucifer you don't wanna know." Jaune said, but Lucifer noticed his left hand spasm again.

"Surprise, I do want to know, and neither of us are leaving this arena till then."

Now it was Jaune's turn to let out a growl. "You won't be able to handle it."

Lucifer leaned in a little. "I'll take any truth if it means protecting Pyrrha."

"FINE, TAKE IT." Jaune roared and his left hand shot and grabbed the side of Lucifer's head. Lucifer was about to say something when suddenly a flood of voices, emotions, thoughts, and pain, and endless swirling torrent of pain assaulted his mind.

Faster than Lucifer could blink, his mind was filled with the sudden wave, the voices were the worst of all, there were millions of them, all shouting and screaming. He could only catch fractions of what they said but a few words were repeated by nearly all of them. "Murderer, Monster, Why, and the last one, Betrayer."

Lucifer staggered away from Jaune and grabbed his head, lurching from side to side. "You wanted to know the reason. Why I came to kill them. Well now you know. This is the burden I carry for the power I have, I gave you a small glimpse of it, if I kill them, then those voices will stop, but I chose not to." Jaune said walking toward him.

"Make them stop, the pain, the voices, make them stop I can't take it." Lucifer cried.

Jaune grabbed Lucifer by the collar and pulled him up so the were looking eye to eye. The pleading that was in Lucifers expression was all the conformation he needed that he got the message. "Fine." Jaune said, and slammed Lucifer in the face with his fist.

* * *

Lucifer's dreams were filled with screams of the voices as they cried out in his mind, some simply roared in anger, while others pleaded to be released from this prison that they were trapped in. The cacophony was enough to make Lucifer long to just die, to give up on life and get away from this torrent of pain that was only intensified when visions were added. They were fragmented and blurry but in each one, there was the man in grey armor, but it wasn't always Jaune. The weapon changed, as did the way each man acted, though despite who it was, the vision was always of them cutting down people, men, women, children, faunas, human, it didn't matter, they were slaughtered all the same.

It was to much, Lucifer couldn't take it anymore, he screamed and shouted into the darkness, wanting only to escape this hell that Jaune had put him in, then the scene changed. There was something about this one, it felt almost real.

Lucifer stood in a the middle of a city street, except that the place was wrecked, buildings were leveled and on fire, holes in the streets, and the bodies of the dead scattered about, some had been impaled on spikes and hung there bleeding, he saw ravens picking at the corpses of a family that had been cut down as they attempted to flee. Taking a few steps forward his foot stepped in something mushy, looking down he saw the body of a woman, to his horror he realized it was professor Goodwitch, well, the top half of her, she had literally been ripped in half and Lucifer now stood in the intestines that hung from her.

Lucifer was appalled by what he saw, he'd seen photos of some of the worst battles in the great war, but the carnage he saw here made those look like pillow fights. He continued walking, through the carnage and rounding the corner to a main street he saw a light in the distance and a trail of bodies that led to it.

Navigating his way through the streets Lucifer made his way toward the distance, as he approached the number of dead began to increase, their blood painting the street red. Several times Lucifer stopped and threw up, unable to contain his disgust at the sight. He knew that it was highly possible that, given his job as a hunter, he would have to kill someone at some point, but this. This wasn't a war zone, it was a slaughter house, many of the dead weren't soldiers or hunters, they were the innocent, the ones that had lived theirs lives as normal people and had done nothing to deserve the massacre that they were in.

Lucifer began running as fast as he could so he didn't have to look at his surroundings anymore. Finally he burst into the area where the light was coming from, and what he saw put everything behind him to shame. A mountain of bodies, standing over thirty feet in the air, some were on fire and the landscape around it was wreathed in flame. As Lucifer's eye's traveled to the top he saw the fire begin to turn black and at the very top there was a lone figure, it wore the armor that was Jaune's aura armor, but it was black, the helmet was like that of the leviathan's head, the two protrusions that had stretched from the top of the helmet were now jagged and ran parallel along the helmet, the helmet separated into an upper and lower jaw with sharp pointed teeth from which Lucifer could see blood dripping.

The man's sword was stabbed in the top of the corpses, and Lucifer saw that it was Jaune's longsword that he had seen him use on T.V. Then a horror overcame Lucifer as he saw that the weapon was sticking out of Pyrrha, she was the top corpse of the pile, Milo' hung loosely in her hand and Akuo' was split in half, next to her, lay Jaune, how was he there, but it wasn't the Jaune that he had just faced, it was the old Jaune, gold hair, Corcea Mors and his face, even in death still had a gentle air to it.

Lucifer glared up at the man atop the pile. "BASTARD!" He yelled and charged up the pile, using his aura to propel him and increase his speed. He reached the top of the pile and leapt at the man, charging aura into his fist and swing at the man's beast like helmet. Faster than he could see the man's hand shot out and grabbed Lucifer by the throat. He held Lucifer in the air with one hand and the other pulled his sword from Pyrrha's corpse, the blade made a squelching sound as it left her body.

Determined to know who this was Lucifer reached out and hooked his fingers under the helmet and tore it off his head. Underneath, was Jaune, the current one, but was also different. While Jaune had become an ice cold and merciless individual, he still had the smallest shred of compassion and kindness. This Jaune, had nothing but a sadistic and murderess air about him, this wasn't Jaune, this was a monster. His eye's were now black and the aura that burned around him was the same color.

"Why Jaune? Why would you do this?" Lucifer croaked out.

Jaune looked at him and his eye's were like a bottomless abyss. Then he looked down at Pyrrha's and Jaune's corpse and then back at Lucifer. "We are not Jaune Arc." He said and his voice was comprised of dozens of others. "We killed Jaune Arc. Like how he killed us, by taking away everything. That includes you." With that Jaune pulled his sword back and ran it through Lucifer's chest.

Lucifer bolted up in bed, breathing hard. His heart was racing and he was coated in sweat. Upon looking around he saw that he was in Team PNR's dorm room, Pyrrha sat next to the bed he was in holding his hand. One bed over, Nora, Ruby, Weiss, Yang, Ricard and Crispin were playing an intense card game, Ren was on the computer and Blake sat in the corner reading a smutty book judging from the fierce red blush on her face.

Everyone of them turned and looked at Lucifer with concern and surprise on their faces at his sudden jolt. "Lucifer!" Pyrrha screamed and hugged him fiercely. Lucifer winced at the noise which seem so much louder than it should have been.

They all began to crowd around Lucifer asking hime questions on what had happened. He simply shook his head and raised his hands in an attempt to quiet them. "How did I get here?" He asked.

"Jaune brought you here, said you had a sparring session with him and he hit you a little too hard." Pyrrha said placing a hand on his chest and trying to get him to lay back down.

Lucifer pushed her hand away. "Where is Jaune now?" He asked.

They we're all taken aback by his question. "Why does it matter?" Blake asked.

"Where is he?" Lucifer asked his voice half growling.

"Luke what's wrong? Why are you so angry with him?" Pyrrha asked taking both of his hands in her's.

Pulling her in Lucifer kissed Pyrrha once than got out of bed and pulled on his shirt. He was nearly out of the door when Ricard grabbed his wrist and stopped. "Lucifer I know you don't like him but seriously why are you going after Jaune like this, your the only one getting hurt."

Lucifer twisted his wrist from Ricard's grip. "That is not Jaune, I don't know what is who's sitting in that dorm room, but it's not Jaune."

"Why would you think that?!" Ruby yelled as he opened the door and stepped out into the hall.

"Because whatever is in there killed him." Lucifer said and shot off down the hall.

* * *

Jaune's Room

Lucifer reached Jaune's room and started pounding on the door. After a few seconds the door opened to Jaune holding a glass of whisky. "Do you really wanna do this again?" He asked.

"You owe me some fucking answers," Lucifer growled. "What were those voices, what is that armor, and what was that... thing?" He continued.

Jaune's gaze narrowed, "What "Thing"?"

"I don't know, it was you in that armor, but black and beast like, you'd killed everyone, even another you, and it seemed like someone was controlling you.." Jaune grabbed Lucifer by the collar and pulled him into the room. Closing the door quickly he went over to the window and shut it.

"When speaking about such things, it's best to do so behind close doors." Jaune said calming down and draining his entire glass, he refilled it and pulled out another glass and filled it as well. "Here." He said and held the glass out to Lucifer.

Lucifer eye'd the glass skeptically, "I don't drink."

"Trust me, it'll make you feel better." Jaune said and offered him the glass again.

Reluctantly Lucifer took the glass and after eyeing the liquid inside he drank it. A sudden lull came over his mind and the remnants of the voices that remained in his head quieted to a silence.

Jaune laughed at his expression, "pretty strong affect eh." He said as Lucifer's eye's bugged out of his head and he took a deep breath.

"Is this why you drink so much?" Lucifer asked.

"Yes." Jaune said draining his glass and filling it again. "Though the voices are not the only reason." Lucifer noticed his hand go to his shirt and feel at something under it. After a pause Jaune went to a chair and sat down. "So, what do you want to know?"

Lucifer's left hand tightened into a fist. "Everything."

Jaune sighed, "I can't tell you everything, but, I can tell enough. Sit down." Lucifer sat on the bed and looked at Jaune expectantly. "Okay where to begin?" Jaune muttered once they were settled.

"What is that armor?" Lucifer asked without hesitation.

A chuckle escaped from Jaune, "I guess that's the best place to start," He refilled his glass again and looked out the window for some time before answering, and when he did, he did so with a question. "Lucifer, what do you know about the world of Remnant before the emergence of grimm?"

Lucifer shrugged, "Basically nothing, there are few alive who know anything about it."

Jaune nodded like he expected this answer. "Quite right, I don't claim to be an expert in it's history, though I will say this, the wars and bloodshed of that existed during the time made the conflicts of today look like a child's pillow fight. It was in this chaos that the ancestors of the hunters were born." Jaune stood and went to the window, starring out at the moon watching it's light reflect off the glass.

Watching from his seat, Lucifer noticed how when the moon's light hit Jaune's eye's the effect was drastically different from one eye to the other. When it struck the blue eye, it gave it a glow that was almost other worldly, however when the light hit his red eye, the light went in and seem to die, like dropping a torch down a pit, watching it's light fade into nothingness. It was an unnerving sight, like looking at both parts Jaune, the kind and caring portion of the old Jaune, and the merciless, cruel and almost demon like other half that came back with him.

After a time Jaune continued. "These people were known as Slayers, as it was their job to slaughter their enemies. When the grimm came about these people changed to become the hunters but at that time all they hunted was other humans and faunas." He placed his glass on the windowsill and breathed in deeply. "In the midst of war one a group of slayers pooled their aura together and used it to kill an entire village, when the smoke had cleared they for that in the center of the blast was a lump of metal. What made the metal odd was that it seemed to shape into what ever they wanted and possessed tremendous power. In their greed the slayers fought over it until one was left standing who claimed it for himself. He created the first part of the armor and added to it. However that kind of power eventually drove him insane and even after the grimm appeared and the kingdoms were created he and those who followed him he remained convinced that humans and faunas were the real threat to the world."

"What on earth could make him think that?" Lucifer asked incredulously.

Jaune gave him a side long look. "Ultimate power can corrupt in ways never thought possible." He gestured to himself. "Exhibit A."

Lucifer's eye's narrowed, even though it seemed that Jaune was in complete control and sane, Lucifer couldn't deny that his behavior was very different from what it had been before he had disappeared. "So the people who are coming after us are the one's who still consider themselves to be slayers?"

Jaune nodded, "Yes."

"So who leads them now?" Lucifer asked.

A dark look flashed across Jaune's face, and it was some time before he answered. "The man's name is Salvin, and he is the most dangerous man alive."

"I take it he found you and took you in after you fell."

Jaune's hand tightened on the windowsill so hard that the wood cracked and his whole body seemed to wince as if he remembered some old and horrible pain. "Not quite." He said relaxing and taking another drink. "It was Salvin's son Valin in who found me. He took me to his home and after joining them we were as brothers."

"Why wasn't he with the others who took Pyrrha?" Lucifer interrupted.

"He's dead." Jaune replied in a flat voice.

Lucifer's eye's went wide for a moment. "How?" he asked out of simple curiosity.

Jaune ran a hand through his hair. "After a time when it became clear that I was Valin's only rival in becoming the leader of the Slayers, he made us dual, the winner would become the successor of the Slayers, the looser would die. I won."

The room was quiet for a long while after that. Finally Lucifer spoke. "So Salvin gave you the armor, and told you to come and kill team RWBY and PNR?"

"Yes. If I killed them then the voices would stop."

"And what are those voices?"

Jaune went over and sat down in his seat before he answered. "The aura is the manifestation of the soul, so whenever I take an aura from someone, I essentially take that person's soul, and those souls are not happy to have been killed and forced into a swirling mass of souls that are sucked for power."

"That's horrible." Lucifer said think about what it must be like, killed the used like dust to feed the power of the man who killed him. "But why would killing Pyrrha and the others stop those voices, wouldn't you just add them to the armor?"

"After my memories returned Pyrrha and the others held a large control over my emotional state, and to control the armor you can't be divided in your emotions as the souls in the armor will not obey otherwise." Jaune let out a heavy sigh. "So I had a choice to make, between Pyrrha and the others, and, someone else."

Lucifer glared. "Who?" Jaune shook his head but stayed silent. "Tell me Jaune. Who could possibly be so important that they alone could out way all of your friends?" Again Jaune stayed silent but his hand crept to his shirt and felt something under it. Lucifer surged to his feet in anger. "Who, Jaune. WHO!?"

Jaune remained silent but his gaze turned to steel. "My wife." He said in a hard flat voice.

Lucifer's eyes went wide. "What?" He asked in a soft voice.

Jaune reached into his shirt and pulled out a thin gold chain, on it was a single plain gold wedding band. He tossed it to Lucifer who examined it.

"So you got married." Lucifer said after examining the ring, on the inside was inscribed in a fine and flowing writing, Jaune/Shira. "To this Shira person."

Jaune nodded. "It was a little over a year ago, she was Salvin's daughter, she was something of a caretaker to me as when I was found by Valin I was in, let's just say less than decent condition. After Valin's death we were distant for a time, but after a few months we started to grow closer, and a little over a year ago we were married."

Lucifer tossed the ring back to Jaune. "I supposed I can't argue with that."

Jaune put the chain back around his neck and tucked it back in his shirt. Lucifer noticed that he seemed to have a small sense of relief about him, like he had just taken some weight of his shoulders that he'd been carrying for a long time.

A thought came to Lucifer's mind them. "So why didn't you kill Pyrrha?"

It was a long time before Jaune answered. "You."

His answer took Lucifer back. "How did I stop you?"

Jaune chuckled, "When I came back to Vale I intended to find Pyrrha and the others, kill them and then get out without anyone knowing I was even in the kingdom. I found them, I was able to sneak into Beacon and was out side a window aiming at Pyrrha, then you entered the frame and I saw the biggest smile break across Pyrrha's face, then she pulled you into a room, and you and team PRN and RWBY spent hours having fun and laughing." Jaune laughed again and looked at the moon again. "Then you all looked at Corcea Mors on it's pedestal, and realized that if I killed them right there, I would be the worst person in the entire world. They were happy and they remembered me, I could't ask for more than that."

Lucifer smiled a little. "And you've been guarding them since?"

Jaune laughed. "Actually I had no idea on what I was going to do, I was so conflicted between my ties to the Slayers and my loyalty to them, by chance after going to a bar and getting horribly drunk, I met someone who was able to talk some sense into me. After all that she became something of my guide in being the good guy again and not the villain."

"I see." Lucifer said nodding. "I have one more question."

"And what my that be?" Jaune asked narrowing his eyes.

Lucifer thought for a second. "Why tell me all this, the others have asked you and you've been quite content to tell them nothing, so why tell me?

Jaune nodded once or twice before responding. "Because I need you to understand the situation."

"But why not tell the others?"

It was some time before Jaune answered. "Right now you are the only one who truly considers me an enemy, the others may not trust me fully but they will fight with me when push comes to shove. You are the wild card, I don't know what you'll do, you've shown that you hate me and don't want me within a thousand miles of Pyrrha, but your also so head over heels in love with her that you will do anything do keep her safe, even kill. That's something I need."

"What are you talking about?" Lucifer asked not sure he was liking where this was going.

Jaune pushed himself out of his chair and pace the room while he talked. "The others may be dangerous combatants but not one of them is willing to take a life. Even Yang, who will break bones and give concussions, she is not able to deliver that ending blow that can take someone's life. And Blake may have been able to do it once, but she's grown soft while with team RWBY."

"That's not a bad thing." Lucifer said in a harsh voice.

"No it's not, but right now it makes her a liability to me, because her's and the others mercy is a sentiment that our enemies do not share. If I can't trust them to put down their opponent permanently, then they are less than worthless to me, the same goes for you if your not willing to do what is necessary." Jaune stated glaring down at Lucifer and his voice rising just a little.

Lucifer surged to his feet so he was only a few inches from Jaune, his face filled with anger. "Don't ever say that." He growled poking Jaune in the chest. "The light that they had is a precious thing and you have no right to call it worthless."

Jaune pushed Lucifer's hand away. "Whatever you want to think of it, in this instance that's exactly what it is."

Lucifer gave Jaune a look of disappointment. "You know for someone who once had more light and joy than anyone in this school I'm surprised that you have such a low opinion of it since becoming a murderer."

Jaune's red eye flashed for a second then faded, his voice became softer the anger in his gaze faded a little. "Yeah, I'm a murderer, and that light I had is long since gone, but right now, I'm the only chance you possibly have at ever getting through this. So for the time being," He held out his hand, "Allies?"

Lucifer looked at him for a long time saying nothing, finally after a tense moment he took Jaune's hand and shook it. "Allies."

With that Lucifer turned and walked toward the door. When he reached it he stopped and looked back at the Jaune. "Hey Jaune, one last thing."

"Ya."

"In my dream, I saw you in that armor, but it was black and beast like, and another you was lying next to it, dead. What was it?" Lucifer asked.

Jaune stayed silent and instead went over to the counter and grabbed the half empty bottle of whiskey along with a glass. Walking back over to Lucifer he placed them in his hands. "Drink the rest of that." Jaune said pointing at the bottle. "And ask Pyrrha to the dance." he said and opened the door and nudged Lucifer out the door. "Good night." Jaune said and closed the door.

Walking to his bed Jaune pulled his shirt off revealing his ruined frame. With his right hand he ran a hand over the huge burn scar on his lower back, even beneath it he could still feel the brand that had once adorned his flesh till he had seared all the skin around it in order to get rid of it. Jaune ground his teeth together when he felt the spot where it had been, was unnaturally hot.

* * *

 **I leave you all with yet another mystery. What is the Brand? Who gave it to Jaune? and how is it relevant to the monster in Lucifer's dream, we'll find out. So, please review and comment on what you thought of my backstory, and be prepared for the next chapter "Dancing with Fire" Thanks for reading.**


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